Lights, camera, Diwali: How global TV shows spotlight the festival

A scene from the Diwali festivities — the fireworks, in particular — filmed in Calcutta was briefly featured in Jean Renoir’s 1951 drama romance film The River (French: Le Fleuve). Diwali was referred to as the “Hindu festival of light — hundreds and thousands of little lamps” therein. Young Satyajit Ray assisted Renoir on the film, and a Eurocentric view of Renoir might have helped Ray in his future endeavours. Nonetheless, it was perhaps among the earliest (if not the earliest) representations of Diwali for a global audience.

 

Numerous Indian films and television series have featured Diwali over the years, many of which have also gained popularity outside India. However, the 2006 episode, “Diwali”, of the iconic American comedy TV series The Office, viewed live by 8.8 million people, may have been the most prominent cultural focus ever on Diwali in America. It was aired 12 days after the actual Diwali holiday. In the film, the Indian-American culture of Mindy Kaling’s character, Kelly Kapoor, is explored. Kelly extends an invitation to her family’s house for a Diwali celebration to the whole staff of the Dunder Mifflin office in Scranton. However, Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, refers to Diwali as “the Hindu Halloween.” Funny circumstances and cultural misunderstandings result from this misconception, supported by Kelly’s own less-than-clear explanation! Nevertheless, the episode was crucial in bringing Diwali to American attention.

 

Since then, many have attempted to portray the annual celebration, often in a holiday-themed format but with added cultural sensitivity. NBC’s 2010 sitcom Outsourced featured a Diwali-themed episode titled “Home” for the Diwalidays, where an American novelty company has just outsourced its order processing to a call centre in Mumbai. The story revolves around Todd Dempsy, the American manager, who finds it difficult to comprehend the Diwali holiday and initially prevents his Indian employees from celebrating it, leading to a dispute that they eventually settle. The conflict between Indian and American cultures is highlighted throughout the episode.

 

Disney’s 2020 animated series Mira, the Royal Detective, includes a special Diwali episode as well as a song called Diwali. While the song perfectly captures the festive spirit with its lyrics about feasts, family, and décor, the episode follows Mira as she searches for missing lamp oil to save the celebrations.

 

Well, America has already been enlightened by the Indian festival of lights, as was seen in an episode about Diwali on the comedy-drama television series And Just Like That, a 2021 relaunch of the cult classic Sex and the City. Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw, goes shopping for Diwali while wearing a lehenga, which she mistakenly calls a saree. She enters a high-end South Asian boutique to help her realtor, Seema Patel, find a Diwali outfit. “Okay, these clothes, this holiday, I need to know everything about it,” she says. Sarita Choudhury’s character, Seema, responds by taking a little breath and reciting a well-known explanation: “In India, Diwali is a Hindu celebration of light triumphing over dark.” However, many critics questioned how Carrie could remain blissfully unaware of the annual Diwali celebration despite being 55 and residing in New York City, home to one of the largest concentrations of South Asians in America and where Diwali is so significant that it would eventually become a citywide public school holiday in 2023.

 

Then, during the Diwali celebration in the 2025 BBC drama series Virdee, Harry Virdee, the protagonist, tries to reconnect with his estranged Sikh family. To portray Bradford’s culture — a city with a sizable South Asian population — Virdee incorporates Diwali celebrations.

 

Overall, during the past 20 years, international TV series certainly helped illuminate the Diwali lights outside India to some extent. However, The Office episode “Diwali” was the epitome of this, even if Kelly Kapoor was neither the de facto tour guide to her heritage nor the episode an Indian Culture 101 lesson. Nevertheless, those unfamiliar with the festival were immediately intrigued, while the enticing hints of the festivities appealed to those who already knew it. It continues to rank among Hollywood’s most deft depictions of Indian culture.

The author is professor of statistics, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata