Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Postcards’ on Netflix, A Nigerian-Indian Family Comedy From The Creator of ‘Namaste Wahala’

Following up her hit film Namaste Wahala, Nigerian-Indian filmmaker Hamisha Ahuja’s Postcards also centers on the dualities of her two home countries.

POSTCARDS: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: In Lagos, Nigeria, a Nigerian wedding unfolds with guests dressed to the nines and a large buffet on display. One of the dancing guests, Aunty Bunmi, speaks in a voiceover stating that ever since the death of her husband, she has decided to live life to the fullest.

The Gist: Aunty Bunmi is the life of the party in her native Lagos, even after the death of her husband 20 years prior. But in living life to the fullest, she has neglected her health and developed fibroids, and her only course of treatment is in India. Meanwhile, her estranged son Yemi is a dancer who is desperate to leave Nigeria. By a stroke of luck and coincidence, he lands a dancing gig in Bollywood, which takes him to Mumbai and will inevitably force mother and son to confront their rift.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? There’s a bit of Grace and Frankie in the show’s central idea, following an aging woman who is determined to live life to the fullest even as she and her family aren’t exactly in agreement.

Our Take: There’s a long history of Nigeria and India’s film industries intertwining — the Hindi film industry has long-been a source of entertainment for Nigerians, and many Indians have lived in Africa for generations stemming from British colonization. It’s only natural for there to be some overlap between the stories told in each country.

The first of six episodes of Postcards doesn’t show much of Indian culture outside of a small scene in which creatives select Yemi as a new dancer for their film. But filmmaker and creator Hamisha Ahuja uses the opening moments of the series to highlight just how similar the cultures are: extravagant weddings, aunty culture, and amazing food.

The premise is simple and has strong potential to explore a lot of prescient, cultural themes and stories: family estrangement and the means to which two people can come back together; navigating a new environment, even if there are cultural similarities; and potential racism at the hands of Indian people who, generally, favor fair skin over dark skin.

There are some moments of over-acting and amateur execution — in one scene, Aunty Bunmi collapses at her store due to her health condition, and her fall looks like the type of dramatic acting you find in less professional productions. Still, there is enough meat on the bone and a small enough commitment to warrant giving Postcards a shot.

Sex and Skin: Nothing to see here.

Parting Shot: Yemi and his friend celebrate his new gig as a dancer in India, and a graphic shows a plane taking off from Lagos and landing in Mumbai.

Sleeper Star: There are only two actors that seem like they will carry on into the rest of the season, and Tobi Bakre as Yemi is giving the most naturalistic performance as a dancer with high aspirations but low motivations.

Most Pilot-y Line:: “Think about your family, think about your son. Don’t you want to be there for him?” a doctor tells Aunty Bunmi, the first indication that she has any family outside of her late husband and the spark that convinces her to accept medical help in India.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The Nigerian-Indian crossover holds space for some interesting cross-cultural examination.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, ELLE.com, and more. 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.