It's all too rare that the cultural nuances of not being white factor into a series' storytelling - but Parminder Nagra's police drama is different
It's all too rare that the cultural nuances of not being white factor into a series' storytelling - but Parminder Nagra's police drama is different
There’s no shortage of police dramas on British TV, most of them fronted by gruff old white men with a point to prove. In recent years broadcasters have begun to diversify from that staleness to include more female detectives , but having actors of colour in those lead role is all too rare. And when they do exist, the cultural nuances of not being white rarely factor into the series’ storytelling in any meaningful way.
We last saw Rachita in 2022, when she was suspended for not declaring a conflict of interest and insubordinate behaviour. Two years later, last night’s episode saw her back at work, tasked with handling the high-profile murder of local crime boss Frank Chapman.
It’s a smart line of storytelling from a series that has already proven itself to be authentically exploring racial microaggressions, profiling and stereotyping from a South Asian lens, something with which younger British Asians and mixed-Asians like me will hugely identify. What if we don’t fit the idea of how South Asians should look or act? I certainly don’t, and seeing DI Ray struggle with similar emotions had me glued to the screen.
Episode one was a bit of a slow burn, but set up an interesting premise. In the real world, we know the police to be an institutionally racist and misogynistic organisation – a rich background for exploring themes of race, identity and belonging .
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