THE ARCHIES - Creating Green Content!

 

THE ARCHIES

Zoya Akthar and her team took me back to a world I'd forgotten. One I and much of my generation had lived in and grown up on. It was regular fare that we lapped up hungrily on lazy afternoons, at our coffee tables, couches, the front porch, perched on our favorite tree and sometimes, cheekily, even behind our school books. The colorful Archie Comics, have endured since 1941, the characters crafted and sketched creatively by the publisher (John. L. Goldwater), writer (Vic Bloom) and illustrator (Bob Montana), were something to wait for, like how we anticipate the next episode of our current favorite OTT show. Archie with his carrot top hair and carefree grin, Jughead in his sloppy clothes and love for Pop Tates, Big Moose, the bully, all brawn, sans brain, Betty, blonde, so sweet and pretty, Veronica with her black-violet hair and snobbish ways, Reggie all cheek and conceit, Big Ethel, was she really big, Mr. Weatherbee round, bespectacled and long-suffering. We would await their next move eagerly for a good laugh. Eh! They were silly, yet interesting and fun, would sometimes even prompt us to think and wonder at their queer, quirky ways. 

Zoya has spun a, somewhere close to post independence era, beautiful treat with eye-popping visuals, colorful costumes, Anglo-Indian dialect, delightful customs, sprawling colonial mansions, quaint vintage homes, charming shops, old world cafes, sumptuous-looking food, popular activities of the time, skating, cycling, foot-tapping music and rock and roll dances. It was like Riverdale coming straight to life from the comic we held in our hands, but more enchanting, something like time travel forward to screen and yet a few decades back to a post-independent India with its riveting Anglo-Indian traditions and lifestyle, an amazing mix of India and England. A perfect and believable setting for the Archies in India. Gulp, I was curious yet anxious as to how Zoya would steer this forward without taking away from the characters or Riverdale. 

The Archies threw me, turning out to be more than mere flippant or just color, addressing important real world concerns, development, money, ambition, greed, freedom of the press, idealism, romance, love, emotions, and most importantly, friendship in the backdrop of Riverdale's green landscape and historic setting. And I must say, I was blown away by it all. Aargh, when I read Archies Digest, I always wondered what would happen with poor Archie and his canoe-hopping. My heart would tilt towards Betty most times, hoping he would choose her, and yet Veronica would one-up with her style and chutzpah. A triangle is always intriguing, as it maintains suspense, and keeps readers, ulp, now viewers on the edge. I personally am a sucker for friendship and common sense, and hence glad that Zoya's Archies shows us how to value friendship and relationships above all, and that a triangle doesn't have to be all about jealousy and competition, and can refreshingly also be about understanding and acceptance, in that relationships can be handled with maturity and sense. Having said that, The Archies has moments of misunderstanding and accusations when ambitions collide. And yet, understanding, concern and kindness prevail despite disagreements and arguments. In a world that is blinded by its own brilliance, The Archies, shows us that we don't have to stomp all over each other to be successful or happy. Progress doesn't necessitate humans, animals or nature to be sacrificed. There is still some charm left in sticking together for what we believe in, working hand in hand for a common cause, caring for one another and ones surroundings, believing in oneself and others, and doing the right thing. 

As Archie realizes, The grass is not greener on the other side, one just has to water one's own side a little better. Thank you to The Archies team for throwing up a light-hearted, yet serious, refreshing and insightful story, amidst all the violent and toxic content we are exposed to everyday. As we create green cars, organic food, green products, green fuel, green energy for the safety of the environment and the earth, it's time we also focus on green content, that's important for the individual and collective mental health and longevity of humans on earth.

As always, looking forward to hearing your thoughts,

Warm Regards

Anupama Nambiar