Pooja Bhatt thanks fans for trending Bombay Begums on Netflix

A month has passed since Bombay Begums, a gripping narrative of four Indian women leading conflicted lives, premiered on Netflix. The six-episode long series was trending on Number 7 in Netflix India as of April 8, owing to its immense popularity. Pooja Bhatt took to twitter to thank fans and viewers for helping Bombay Begums achieve this feat.

Alankrita Shrivastava’s Bombay Begums is the story of Rani (Pooja Bhatt), Fatima (Shahana Goswami), Lily (Amruta Subhash) and Ayesha (Plabita Borthakur) - four women who are grappling with patriarchal traditions and their own personal struggles in an effort to rise up and break free from the shackles placed on them. Rani is hiding a secret while acting as a boss to Fatima, who is a successful banker married to a man who has failed at being as adept a banker as Fatima.

In addition to her tumultuous marriage, Fatima is left to choose sides in a sexual harassment case filed by Ayesha against Fatima’s mentor. When Ayesha finds her complain getting stubbed, she fights back with the support of Lily, a sex worker. Bombay Begums is a tale where women who lead different lives eventually end up crossing paths and joining hands, showing that the adversities women face can be tackled when they are surrounded by other supportive women.

After its release on March 8, Netflix was slammed with a notice for Bombay Begums by National Commission for Protection by Child Rights. The notice demanded the show’s removal from Netflix, citing concerns over inappropriate drug usage by children in the series.

Responding to this controversy after weeks, Pooja Bhatt broke her silence by defending the series and asking the Commission to understand the intention behind the portrayal of Shai, Rani’s troubled teenage daughter who lands in the hospital following a drug overdose. The actress also urged audiences to understand that everyone has biases but the show is a work of fiction, not meant to offend anyone.

Pooja Bhatt tweeted on April 8, expressing her gratitude over the continued success of Bombay Begums. “One month of #BombayBegums and thanks to you all, we are #stilltrending”, tweeted the actress.

This drama web-series is rooted in reality for many Indian women - Bombay Begums can be streamed on Netflix.