What message do we want to give our adolescents that are struggling to make sense of the world they are seeing around them and their own future within it?
As I see it we have two choices.
One, we tell them that the world is fucked and it’s only going to get worse, so better grow up fast, don’t believe blindly in anything you hear, listen to all the voices around you, and fight for what’s right and for the world you want to inherit. Let’s call this the “Hunger Games” school of thought.
Or, two, we tell them that the grown up world is over-rated and that no one has the answers and that what matters is them and their faith and their imagination; and that we believe in them to find their own answers to craft the world of the future in the way they see right and beautiful. I call this the “Robin Williams” school of thought.
I’m not going to discuss for, or against any of the two, because we all know we ourselves move between one or the other all the time. But suffice it to say #TheArchies on Netflix sits squarely in the second category.
Inspired by the iconic Archie’s comic book, this Zoya Akhtar’s musical take is a light, easy breezy telling of high schoolers and their sweet-nothing everyday lives filled with hormones, romance, dreams, music, future-gazing, heart breaks, and partying. Living in the fictional hill town of Riverdale, (an Anglo-Indian settlement) and in the afterglow of post independence India of the 60s (before the wars and emergency), the story starts with Veronica Lodge (Suhana Khan) who returns from London with her parents. Mr. And Mrs. Lodge want to transform the quiet green town into a commercial hub, breaking down among other things the soul-centre of the town, Green Park. Archie Andrews (Agastya Nanda), true to his nature, romances both Veronica and Betty Cooper (Khushi Kapoor), with aspirations of getting out of Riverdale, to London for college. Along with the rest of the Archie’s cast of Jughead, Reggie Dilton Doiley, Ethel, Midge, and Moose, these teenagers go through their trials and tribulations, while in the background the town begins to change, giving into the forces of brutal capitalism. As things come to a head and the beloved Green Park is in danger of being razed to the ground, and the adults succumb to money and power, it’s only the youth brigade of the town that comes to the fore to save the day, preserving what’s good and pure in the world, making their way towards building their future.
One could find many faults in the film. It feels a little too American High School Musical. It feels too simplistic and naive a story for a highly complex world we live in. It is bubblegum and popcorn and more pink than even Barbie was. The actors and their performances are average at best. (With the exception of perhaps Reggie, played impactfully by Vedang Raina). And most of all it speaks and perhaps celebrates the sensibility of a privileged class in society, that the same film maker lamented against in Gully Boy.
But, the film also talks about personal issues that preoccupy the youth today. It celebrates the idea of choosing your home and country and creating opportunities here rather than going abroad. It raises the conversation on capitalism and consumption and how that’s messing our planet. It encourages the young to think and talk about politics (at a critical moment in time in our country). And it talks about identity formation (including gender) and finding the answers within. The moment in the room when Reggie acknowledges Ditlon’s identity is beautifully and empathetically done. It’s the conversation Mike should have had with Will in Stranger Things Season 4 (remember that heart breaking moment!).
But most of all, why the film should be watched is because at the heart of it, it’s about celebrating the agency of the youth. What could be more important and critical in our world than that. To make the future generation believe that they can change the future. They don’t have to just 'inherit' it. At a time when loneliness and mental health challenges of our young ones are at their worst ever, how can we not promote anything and everything that helps them believe that things can get better, that THEY can make it better. As a society and as adults, have we become so bitter that the only thing we see is in the film is star kids, and nepotism! Let’s give the kids a break. More importantly, let’s give them a chance. A chance to change the world for all of us. Without filling them with our fears and cynicism and our social media views. As the title song Sunoh says “You say I’m young and I’ve got nowhere to be, I say there’s so much I can do”
Or at the very least, let us enjoy a few hours of suspension of our reality and be naively optimistic. Nothing wrong with a little dose of that from time to time. Heck, it's New Year time! Remember the film is graded 13+. If we’ve enjoyed and applauded so many Disney movies with a sense of joyous optimism, why can’t we for this one?
It may not be the Archie’s us oldies grew up with, but it’s the Archie’s that the current generation can enjoy perfectly well, if we let them.
In the end, it’s a short, young, fun, easy and enjoyable musical film, with a great soundtrack by Ankur Tewari, The Islanders, Dot and Shankar Ehsaan Loy. What more can we ask for from a film? Stop over-thinking it and just go and watch it!
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