After eight successful seasons, the Spanish drama series Elite has come to a memorable end, with its final season now streaming on Netflix. Carlos Montero and Darío Madrona’s teen drama, set in the elite high school Las Encinas, highlights the teenage struggles of the characters due to their differing choices and socio-cultural backgrounds.
This setup allows the characters and their stories to develop richly. Elite is known for its mature themes and how they impact the characters, creating significant storylines around these issues.
Similarly, the Indian remake of Elite, titled Class, follows a comparable path. The Hindi-language series on Netflix makes adjustments to the original setting and characters to offer a fresh perspective while exploring familiar themes in a different context. This adaptation creates a dark and rebellious story.
‘Class’ Mirrors the Original Storyline
Like the original, the Indian version follows three working-class students whose lives change when they get a chance to study at Hampton International, a prestigious school in New Delhi. As a teenage drama, Class keeps the same chaotic elements as its predecessor but adds its own unique touch.
It reflects the turbulent nature of Indian society by addressing themes such as casteism, corruption, homophobia, and various forms of inequality. The main characters face personal transformations and must handle the harsh realities of their environment, especially after a student’s mysterious death exposes friendships and leads to betrayal.
‘Class’ Brings a Cultural Twist
In Class, the creators give a cultural refresh to the Elite world. While inspired by the original, the Indian setting adds its own flavor. Characters may seem familiar but are uniquely adapted to the new context. For instance, Nadia’s character in Class (named Saba) faces challenges related to her religion, similar to the original series but with an Indian perspective.
In Elite, Marina, played by María Pedraza, has a close, sometimes sexual relationship with the brothers Samuel and Nano. In Class, Marina’s counterpart, Suhani Ahuja (played by Anjali Sivaraman), has a different relationship dynamic and struggles with drug abuse, reflecting the Indian context.
‘Class’ Intensifies the Conflict
Class enhances the conflict by reflecting its unique socio-cultural setting. The three main characters come from modest backgrounds and experience class differences and additional social challenges.
Saba’s traditional Muslim upbringing and Dheeraj’s lower-caste background impact their lives significantly. Class effectively translates the conflicts of Indian society into the characters’ lives, creating a more intense narrative.
In Class, the characters face layered challenges in their social mobility, worsened by institutional failures. For example, the series reveals that six children died due to a building collapse caused by a prominent local builder, highlighting a harsher reality than in Elite. The stakes are higher, making the characters’ struggles more emotionally charged.
Class experiments with the characters, themes, and situations of Elite while maintaining the core elements that made the original successful.
It keeps the intense drama, complex characters, and controversial themes but adapts them to a new cultural context. Fans of Elite may find Class an interesting variation of the same world, with its bold and provocative themes.
All episodes of Class are available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
