Bridgerton: The South Asians on TV make me happy

Bridgerton's hit drama returns for a second series on Friday - with the two main characters played by actresses of South Asian descent. Young actors from similar backgrounds told BBC News why screen performance was so important to them.

"If you've never seen yourself on screen before, why did you choose this role?" Laraib Wahid told us.

One day he wants to make a living from musical theatre, but for now, he sits in his dorm kitchen - taking a break from his studies to chat.

The lack of South Asian actors in leading television roles, he said, had people like him worried that his dream career was "unrealistic." But the 19-year-old is optimistic that things are starting to change.

"I think it's quite innovative," said the student who lives in Brighton. Born in London, his family hails from Pakistan.

"Suddenly, you have a portrayal of not one, but two South Asian women, and it's a periodical drama where, traditionally, you'd only see a white cast."

What's rare, Laraib says, is that when South Asian actors appear on screen, they usually tend to "play a supporting role or play a stereotype."

"When I see people of color on screen, especially if they're South Asian, something lights up in me because you can't see it.

Laraib hopes Bridgerton will change the perception of the South Asian community in the UK. Bridgeton's first series is second only to Squid Game on Netflix's list of most-watched TV series. Some critics described the show as shallow, implausible, and clichéd, but the diversity of the cast was widely praised, running into the millions.

Series boss Chris Van Dussen described him as a man of color, with the freedom to play people of all backgrounds while still allowing the race of characters to play a part in the story. TV critics Ellen and Jones tell us that seeing such ethnic diversity on screen is a positive step, especially since "periodic drama is a huge part of the UK film and television industry and when you exclude people of color, you exclude them from a large part of the industry." '.

"The consequence is that generations of British and brown-skinned actors who are British nationals have been forced to go to America in search of exciting roles like Idris Elba, Reese Ahmed, and Tandiv Newton," he said. Giving actors access to a world of history only for white people is a good thing, says Ellen, but adds, "It's not about the issue of race and racism because it doesn't address those issues at all.

"People want to escape in the imagination, and that's what Bridgerton did and what's important is that he offers that to people of color and white people, and I think that's important. So it should be celebrated if you think of it that way, but it's not about racism. Or race does not challenge any of the ingrained ideas in our society.

"I don't think Bridgerton did anything wrong, and I'm glad it's there, but there's a lot of room for more."