Almost every kid growing up in the 2000s and 2010s, tired of the boredom of classes and home hoped that an owl would bring them a Hogwarts letter and take them away to a much more magical world – where school meant learning how to make feathers float instead of long division and flying on broomsticks, not running laps around the PE grounds. When the teaser for the new Harry Potter series dropped recently, for a few of those kids, now adults, it felt like they would get a chance to relieve that wide-eyed wonder once more.
For Gen Z like college student Divyansh Bardia, who discovered the movies while trying to cope with the pandemic, the show is especially meaningful. He explains, “During the lockdown, especially with board exams, life felt serious. Watching Harry Potter helped me escape into a different world. It makes you want to watch it again and again – rewatching is a Christmas tradition.” He shares eagerly, “When I saw the traiIer I understood what everyone means when they say that the films don’t cover everything – Harry’s backstory especially looks much more fleshed out.” But not everyone is optimistic, including Prerana Chowdhury, a medical student, who points out the grittier, darker look of the trailer compared to the more magical mood of the first film directed by Chris Columbus. “I loved the warmth of the films – the great hall with candles floating overhead, the brick walls, there were lots of textures and warm colours with the costumes too. I hate how cold the trailer looks in the blue and white tones.”
Deciding to casting a black actor, Paapa Essiedu, as the morally grey Severus Snape too has received immense online backlash since the announcement first hit the news, as commentators pointed out that Harry immediately mistrusting the only black professor would carry a different connotation in the story than in the books or films. Columbus too has criticised the show as ‘more of the same’ speaking to a major media outlet and pointing out that Hagrid’s costume is the ‘exact same’ his team designed for the movies.
The fall of an icon Potter fans idolised JK Rowling but as they entered adulthood and the author increasingly made the news for supporting ‘anti-transgender’ activists and legislation in the UK, several cast members, including the ‘golden trio’ of Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe, have condemned her actions. Fans, too, have had to grapple with their relationship with the show and how much they want to engage with the creations of a writer whose views they oppose. Some, like college student Divyanshi Krishna believe that it’s possible to ‘separate the art from the artist,’ saying, “Rowling’s stances don’t really affect my decision to watch it. For me, Harry Potter is about comfort and escapism.” While Pavithra Muthalagan, a graphic designer who became a fan in the 2000s as the books released, strongly disagrees believing in boycotting. She says, “This is not just about what she says online, but about openly using her money for campaigns against trans rights. She has the platform to do damage.” However, Muthalagan still reads and loves fanfiction (stories written by fans with the universe’s characters and posted for free on the internet), which she finds, answers some choices in the original books which she started to question as she grew older and read more critically. “I find a lot of fanfiction tries to fix problems and plotholes: why were the marauders bullies and why were we celebrating that?” she asks.
Others, however, are conflicted but trying to find middle ground, as product specialist Akhilesh S, confesses, “The books really spoke to me a lot, especially with how frustrating it could be when you’re overlooked as a kid. I also loved that it had characters like Lupin who would help Harry handle his emotions in a way which I didn’t see others in my life do.” He adds, “I’ve come to still appreciate it for the impact it had on me. I don’t think I’ll watch it. If I do, I’ll watch it unofficially.”
(With inputs from C Jayanth)