Indian Mini-Series have really proved to be a class of their own. One such series is ‘Yeh Meri Family’. As the name suggests, it follows the daily life of a typical Indian family, however, it’s all from the perspective of the family’s middle child, Harshu.
Children have a very particular way of seeing the world around them, especially desi children.
Harshu’s family is made up of his parents, his elder, academically excellent brother, Dabbu and annoying younger sister, Dhwani. The show revolves around Harshu and his constant struggle for more freedom in his life; may it be from tuitions or the freedom to celebrate his birthday as he deems fit.
The relatability factor comes from the fact that we’ve all literally been there before. We’ve had to live under the shadow of a smarter brother or sister, or had to fight our parents to give us more pocket money. Of course, being a child, there’s only so much you can say to your elders’ face but this show says all those things (in monologue, don’t worry)
Other than family, ‘Yeh Meri Family’ also focuses on friendships, school, and crushes.
Harshu’s best friend ever is Shanky. Shanky is that one kid we’ve all met in school (possibly even been), he knows all the tricks of the trade and can manipulate the system, aka parents, to work for you and your benefit. Harshu isn’t the smartest kid on the block, but Shanky helps him navigate the scary world of dealing with parents and handling grades.
Harshu has this crush from his school, and well, as all desi boys will know, talking to someone you like isn’t the easiest, especially when you’re 12. Shanky and even Harshu’s mom get into the act and constantly try to buck Harshu up to talk to her. He has multiple interactions and slowly he begins to ease into talking to her.
The show doesn’t show a rebellious child, just a child asking for some freedoms he feels he deserves.
As the show progresses, you can see him respect and love his family more and more, which a pretty heartwarming message, if you ask me!
For us here in Pakistan, the show is available for streaming on Netflix.