Schitt’s Creek and a 2009 Hindi Language Movie Have Something Major in Common

If you have not watched Schitt’s Creek yet, well you should. It is one of the best comedy shows and is so awesome that this year it got 15 Emmy nominations and won 9 Emmys, setting new records and breaking many others. The show is an absolute fan favorite and became a huge phenomenon after it started streaming on Netflix.

A 2009 Hindi language movie, written and directed by Dipti Naval, has a major plot setup very similar to one in Schitt’s Creek. The movie which was called an underrated gem by GQIndia last month is Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane ki Baarish(DPKDCAKB). While Schitt’s Creek has a simplicity in its plot of a family losing its wealth and finding love by living together, DPKDCAKB has a nuanced complexity in its story of financial troubles, relationships, and friends living together. On the surface level, both the show and the movie deal with financial, relationships, and family issues but the tone and treatment of the stories could not be more different.

There is one thing, though, that is eerily similar in these two stories and I found that beautifully remarkable. It is one of the plot points that Schitt’s Creek’s fans have admired the most. It is how Schitt’s Creek treated one of its lead(David Rose)character’s sexual orientation and not made a big deal out of him being gay. This set up spoke volumes on how the show supported inclusivity. The show has a community that has rallied behind its positive message and it has impacted real lives in a significant and amazing way. Probably the reason we see Dan Levy crying all the time reacting to the real life impacts and admiration from the fans.

But the show became a phenomenon very recently and that too in an era where there is an increased focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion. So it was a breath of fresh air when I saw DPKDCAKB and how intelligibly it treated one of its lead, Debu, being gay in the story. The female lead, Juhi, in the movie sometimes has not so subtle and funny reactions towards Debu’s sexual orientation but there is no crying, judgement, outrage, or drama associated with his sexuality(except one emotionally charged accusation scene)and it has been treated the way it should be. That Debu is gay and this is who he is. The clarity of thought Debu’s character has is very beautiful to watch. The lead characters in the movie also explore the possibility of an intimate relationship with each other and eventually lead to the conclusion that they are better off as friends(much like Dan and Stevie in Schitt’s Creek).

The movie is definitely ahead of its times considering we still don’t have a mainstream Hindi movie or tv show that has a similar simplicity and inclusivity around lead characters being gay(And no offense, but the 2008 movie Dostana does not count).

Schitt’s Creek won an Emmy in 2020 for an outstanding cast and DPKDCAKB had Manisha Koirala and Rajit Kapur in lead roles with their exceptional acting talent. Both have done justice to their character and are amazing together. The movie has been written and directed by Dipti Naval who is a talent powerhouse in her own way. This beautiful story, from a female writer-director, was created more than a decade ago and had an element that Schitt’s Creek fans are celebrating today.

I truly hope more such stories are created in Hindi film industry and around the world. There is no denying the fact that powerful stories when told beautifully can have a larger than life impact. And if you have any doubts about the power of a story you need to catch up on the Schitt’s Creek phenomenon.

P.S. Both Schitt’s Creek and DPKDCAKB are currently streaming on Netflix. Enjoy:).