Parents' Guide to

Bombay Begums

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Soapy women-centered drama has cursing, drinking, sex.

TV Netflix Drama 2021
Bombay Begums Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Bombay Begums TV Show: Rani
  • Bombay Begums TV Show: Rani and Shai
  • Bombay Begums TV Show: Lily
  • Bombay Begums TV Show: Ayesha

Community Reviews

See all
age 18+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Mfo
Mfo Adult
June 5, 2021
age 18+

Propagating all sorts of evil in society

This show, in the guise of feminism women empowerment (my body, my choice) has normalised, glorified and glamorised evil acts like infidelity, abuse, prostitution. It didn't look like they were giving a social message to clean the mess that is already deep-rooted, for example, sexual harassment. Rather the overly visual and verbal narration of sex makes it a borderline porn content for one to watch. All the characters are basically shallow and have had death of their morality in their hunger for power and wealth. I also think the deliberate use of Muslim names for characters is intentional because Islam explicitly opposes homosexuality, infidelity etc. This is highly offensive for the Muslim community and the producers are lucky that Indian Muslims are not protesting against this on the roads. For the other member on this platform who made a comment about "love jihad".. please find a better way to oppose inter-religious marriages.. you don't even know what Jihad means. Your bigotry is not required here.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Pooja17
Pooja17 Adult
April 2, 2021
age 18+

Disgusting

This series doesn't make any sense and it has glamorized all the immortal concepts in the society. Many bad words used and many sex scenes which were totally unecessary. All the characters are cheating on their partners as they want to live their life the way they want. Being strong, having an opinion and fighting for your rights is fine, but cheating on your partner because you feel like is NOT. All the main characters are something that one should NOT be like. I was hoping to see a women centric series with women who are inspiring but these women are all really disgusting.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BOMBAY BEGUMS is an Indian drama series about five women from different walks of life who work hard and do what they have to in order to live the life they want. Rani (Pooja Bhatt) is the CEO of a bank in financial crisis, and will do what she must to hold on to the position. This includes contending with the likes of Lily (Amruta Subhash), a sex worker trying to manipulate the system to give her son a better life. Meanwhile, Fatima (Sahana Gowsami) is struggling with the pressure placed on her by her husband to have a child, despite the fact that has Rani has offered her a position that will catapult her career. Her assistant Ayesha (Plabita Borthakur) is facing her own professional challenges, while contending with her parents' desire to arrange a marriage for her. Rani's young stepdaughter Shai (Aadhya Anand) quietly makes her own observations about the women around her, while trying to understand what her life will be like as a woman in this world.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (3 ):

This engaging, women-centered soapy drama, which is dubbed in English, features a group of strong women attempting to carve out, and hold on to, a place of power in Mumbai's patriarchal society. Each of the women, who Shai refers to as "begums" or "queens," are from different walks of life. They are all clearly strong and intelligent, but regardless of their lived experiences, they also find themselves constantly being challenged by old cultural traditions and contemporary misogyny as their personal and professional lives collide.

Despite it being a work of fiction, Bombay Begums delivers a strong statement about the struggle of women in India, regardless of education or privilege, due to the sexism that still exists in the country today. But viewers from other cultures and communities may also find the need of the begums to constantly negotiate a balance between what is expected from them as daughters, wives, and mothers, and what they achieve (or want to achieve) outside of these roles, all too familiar. Overall, it's an entertaining series, and one that may resonate with many women around the world.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what the term "begum" means. Did you know that the term usually refers to the wife or daughter of a royal or aristocrat? Why is it being used differently in this series?

  • Do the women in Bombay Begums face more sexism in their personal lives or at their jobs? How does one experience affect the other?

  • Are the lived experiences of the women featured in this series a fair representation of who women are, and the challenges they face, in India? Or is it hyped up to create more dramatic entertainment?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate