Lagos to Mumbai, a human journey

The series stars Nigerian actor Sola Sobewala and Rajneesh Duggal with director Hamisha Daryani Ahuja

The possibility to live, love and find acceptance across continents is one of the main themes of Hamisha Daryani Ahuja's second Netflix release, Postcards. This project--much like her 2020 debut Namaste Wahala, which saw an Indian man romance a Nigerian in her native city, Lagos - brings together a colourful cast of Indian and Nigerian actors.

IMDB describes Postcards as: "Four conflicted Nigerians find identity and acceptance as they face their fears and desires through a journey of love and self-discovery". This immediately brings to mind Mira Nair's iconic Mississippi Masala (1991), a ground-breaking film recognised for exploring serious issues of colourism. But Ahuja quickly clarifies that Postcards delves into the universally relatable "human aspect", or the issues that we all face. "Things like skin colour don't even come up," she says.

Ahuja calls this a fun, slice of life tale that follows the lives of Nigerian characters from Lagos to Mumbai, and sees their lives intersect. "Sola Sobowale's character comes to India to seek medical help; Tobi Bakre aspires to break into Bollywood by showing off his dance moves; Richard Mofe-Damijo and Rahama Sadau shift to India for work and love; Nancy Isime flies to Mumbai to visit her friend Rahama." Ahuja's familiarity with the Nigerian film industry led her to shape Aunty Bunmi's character after she had set her heart on Sobowale, a well-known Nigerian star, for the role. Indian actors were chosen after scripting, including Rajneesh Duggal, who plays an oncologist treating Sobowale, and as one half of an interracial couple.

Ask Ahuja how she came up with the plot and she explains, "A writer's workshop and focus group in Lagos answered questions which brought out the most popular concepts that Nigerians associated with India". She says that from her research, "fashion, dance, Bollywood, food, medical tourism and culture" emerged as the clear winners.

The first season of six episodes has been shot. Of these, five were filmed in Mumbai while one was shot in Lagos. Ahuja says, "I tried to bring out the authenticity of the locations and cultures, through subtle details. There are scenes that feature local cuisine, and language, give the viewer a sense of a place." The evolution of the characters is also captured in their outfits. "Initially, the Nigerian characters are shown in their traditional clothes. But as they become more familiar and comfortable with India, their wardrobes reflect their transition."

Despite the fact that the series has been shot across two continents, Ahuja says that the process was smooth sailing. Nollywood appears to be similar to Bollywood, especially in the quantity of films it produces every year. The two booming film industries have also shaped Ahuja's aesthetic, an Indian origin woman born in Nigeria. But she believes that this series's universal theme will lend it the ability to reach out to a global audience. "It's borderless content."