Super Subbu

The more we assume things have changed, the more they probably have not, at least not for everyone. While some urban homes and schools have moved beyond awkward ‘birds and bees’ conversations to adopt a more pragmatic approach to sex education, the subject remains taboo in many households. In a remote village, those conversations become even harder. Super Subbu, Netflix’s first Telugu original series, directed by Mallik Ram and starring Sundeep Kishan in the title role, builds an engaging drama around this premise. Some of the early scenes evoke school days when teachers would skip sex education lessons to avoid uncomfortable giggles in the classroom. They also reveal the unease many educators themselves feel around the subject.

There are very few mainstream Indian shows willing to build an entire story around sex education without reducing it to awkward jokes or moral sermons. Super Subbu, Netflix’s first Telugu original series, deserves credit for attempting exactly that. Directed by Mallik Ram, the seven-episode dramedy takes an inherently uncomfortable subject and wraps it in humour, family dynamics and small-town eccentricities. For a while, it works beautifully. But just when it seems ready to say something meaningful, the series retreats into safe territory, leaving several of its strongest ideas hanging.

It is but a coincidence that Super Subbu has released a day before Pritam and Pedro. Besides the fact that the titles of the two series are based on the names of their protagonists, Super Subbu takes a leaf out of the Rajkumar Hirani (who makes his digital debut as producer with Pritam and Pedro) book of mirth-meets-message, camouflaging bitter truths and taboo life lessons with humour, managing to pack in some succinct social commentary along the way.