Sudhir Mishra’s Reaction to Adolescence
Sudhir Mishra, a well-known Bollywood filmmaker behind movies like Dharavi (1992), Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), Chameli (2004), and Serious Men (2020), recently spoke about the Netflix British show Adolescence. He said he decided to watch it after his friends, directors Hansal Mehta and Shekhar Kapur, gave it high praise on social media. On Wednesday, Sudhir Mishra shared his thoughts on X (earlier called Twitter). He was shocked that Adolescence is the number-one show on Netflix India. He wrote, “How come Adolescence is No 1 on Netflix India? It breaks all the rules of bad scriptwriting schools. Indians usually don’t like slow stories, but this one is different. It’s great news!”
Debate with Fans on X
How come Adolescence is the No 1 show on Netflix india . All conventional wisdom is against it . Indians are not supposed to like slow Burners . It violates every rule of taught by bad script writing schools . It spirals down instead of soaring up . It’s the best news in years.
— Sudhir Mishra (@IAmSudhirMishra) April 1, 2025
Sudhir Mishra’s post started a discussion. One user said Indians like Adolescence because it’s already popular in the West, so they think it’s good before even watching it. Sudhir didn’t agree. He replied, “No, good taste shouldn’t be ignored. We can’t give up on great stories just because they seem elite. Instead of lowering standards, we should lift the audience up. If we want to compete with the world, this is how to do it.”
He added that he watched it because Hansal Mehta and Shekhar Kapur raved about it, not because of Western hype. He even said he liked it as much as Better Call Saul.(Also read: Shocking Crime Drama Adolescence Will Leave You on the Edge of Your Seat – Watch Now)
What Is Adolescence About?
Adolescence is a four-episode mini-series about a 13-year-old boy named Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper). Jamie gets arrested for murdering a girl from his school. Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, the show came out on Netflix on March 13. It soon became the top show worldwide. People love it because every scene is filmed in one take. It also talks about serious issues like casual misogyny and how social media affects young people. Even the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, liked it so much that he supported a plan to let UK secondary schools stream it for free for teens.
Sudhir Mishra praised Adolescence but also took a small jab at weak scripts in some recent Indian projects. He said its slow style proves good stories can win if done right. A user on X said, “It’s a great show, but we might not have watched it without all the Western praise first.” Sudhir replied, “No, I didn’t know about the hype. I saw it because my friends loved it. It’s one of those rare shows that people everywhere liked at the same time.”
More read: Mikey Madison SHUTS DOWN Critics With Jaw-Dropping SNL Pole Dance Stunt.