Tonight's TV: The Indian Doctor - Series 1 (2010) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

When I read about Kino Lorber's release of the British TV series THE INDIAN DOCTOR (2010-2013), I was immediately intrigued.

The "fish out of water" premise, with the title character (Sanjeev Bhaskar) and his wife (Ayesha Dharker) relocating from India to a small Welsh village, seemed somewhat reminiscent of one of my favorite TV series, NORTHERN EXPOSURE (1990-95).

I've just completed watching Series 1 (2010) and really enjoyed it. The show is set in the early 1960s -- an added plus for me -- and smart, friendly Dr. Prem Sharma (Bhaskar) and his more reticent wife Kamini (Dharker) have just arrived in Wales, where Dr. Sharma is going to work for Britain's National Health Service.

The Sharmas, who are mourning the recent death of their young daughter, face struggles in their new home. While some of the villagers are friendly and appreciative of having a doctor in their midst, others are uncertain about a "foreign" doctor.

In turn, the regal, well-connected Kamini has trouble adjusting and pesters her husband to move on to a more metropolitan area, such as London.

In time, each of the Sharmas finds a mission; Prem uncovers a scandal regarding dangerous working conditions for the local miners, while Kamini strikes up a friendship with rebellious young Dan (Jacob Oakley), son of a miner (Ifan Huw Daffyd). Helping the motherless, troubled Dan fills a hole left in Kamini's life by her daughter's death.

I quite enjoyed Season 1, chiefly for the interesting performances of the two lead actors. Some of the characters, particular the villainous mine manager (Mark Williams), are too cartoony, and the show is also a bit more crass at times than I generally care for.

Those drawbacks are offset by Bhaskar's warm performance as Prem, who tends to avoid discussing the hard things with Kamini, instead burying himself in his work.

The highlight of the show for me is Dharker as the doctor's brainy, lonely -- and I might add very beautiful -- wife. She's initially depicted as somewhat controlling, attempting to arrange Prem's career to her liking. Though quiet in the face of his wife's "managing," Prem also has a stiff spine, and as she realizes they're not going anywhere, Kamini tentatively starts to be friendly with medical receptionist Gina (Naomi Everson), then finds herself increasingly involved in young Dan's life.

Kamini, who is from a well-off family acquainted with rich and powerful Britons, is at times as disdainful of the locals as those who view her as an oddity, but over time the layers are peeled back to reveal a hurting and caring woman. Dharker's performance in particular makes the series worth watching, and I'm very much looking forward to Seasons 2 and 3.

The Kino Lorber Blu-ray set contains the entire series, with each season (from 2010, 2012, and 2013) on its own disc. I thought I'd go ahead and post my review of Season 1 now, and I'll either add updates to this review later or post separate reviews of the ensuing seasons.

I appreciate the wide variety of quality releases Kino Lorber is making available for home viewing, from classic films and documentaries to TV-movies and TV series. THE INDIAN DOCTOR is quite different from the usual TV series, and I recommend it.

Update: Here is a review of Season 2.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray set.

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