Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Taj Mahal 1989’ on Netflix, A Classic Hang Out Show With Plenty of Romantic Drama

Netflix India is stepping up to the plate to fill the contemporary, millennial hang out show void. While the streamer has excelled in genre shows (Sacred Games, Ghoul), it had not yet come out with a drama to rival Amazon’s Made in Heaven, which chronicled wedding planners and commented on India’s social mores. Does Taj Mahal 1989 satisfy your cravings?

TAJ MAHAL 1989: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: For a show whose title name drops one of the seven greatest wonders of the world, could the opening shot be anything but? The camera lovingly shows the Taj Mahal in all of its glory —”pink in the morning, white during the day, and golden at night.” It’s a symbol of love, as Shah Jahan famously erected the palace for his wife.

The Gist: Set in 1989 at a school in Lucknow, India, the romantic drama explores various relationships between classmates and colleagues. In the pilot, we meet two professors who are trapped in a loveless marriage, students who claim to be endlessly in love with one another, and a rebellious non-believer. The show aims to discuss political and philosophical topics against the romance background.

Our Take: As Fleabag took the world by storm, it seems that every show is employing the breaking of the fourth wall. In Taj Mahal 1989 every main character has a moment to step away from the drama to tell us how they really feel. For me, it only really works for Sarita, who is painted as a drag, droll, and constantly disappointed mother, wife, and teacher. When she steps away from her unhappiness and looks into the camera, she delivers some of the most devastating lines.

The other relationships and characters are quite standard, making sweeping statements about love and sex in the context of 1989 India. In that respect, the tone is confusing: it’s clearly a period piece that is invoking modern feelings. In fact, some characters even acknowledge the time difference; in a fourth-wall aside, Angad (Anud Singh Dhaka) references Tinder and the lack thereof in their lives. But, seeing as I was not present (or even alive) in 1989 India, I can’t pass judgment on how realistic it is in its progressive stance.

That said, I’m interested to see what the show does to draw these characters together and apart, and tell their love stories through the 7 episode season.

Parting Shot: After calling her husband, Akhtar, home to celebrate their anniversary, Sarita is shown preparing a meal with a smile on her face. Meanwhile Akhtar meets an old friend at a poetry show, unaware of Sarita’s grand gesture.

Sleeper Star: Sarita, played by Geetanjali Kulkarni, is clearly the most three-dimensional character. She fluctuates from hard-ass physics teacher and demanding mother to a wife trying to keep the love in her marriage alive. Kulkarni keeps the stern look on her face throughout, but still expresses her softer side in smaller moments.

Most Pilot-y Line: Delivered by the Akhtar, philosophy professor character, a declaration on love and its many iterations is necessary for a show like this. And we get one early on in the pilot: “Love is a mutating virus. It is the kind of thing that can’t be understood at any age.” Wah wah, true poetry.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Taj Mahal 1989 has potential to explore interesting political and societal issues through various character lenses. For Sarita and Akhtar’s arc alone, I’ll be tuning in.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

Stream Taj Mahal 1989 on Netflix