Summary
“The Color Purple” continues to be heavy on the themes and discusses women having ownership of their bodies in another revealing chapter.
This recap of Netflix’s Bombay Begums season 1, episode 3, “The Color Purple”, contains significant spoilers.
Affairs, planning family, career opportunities, corporate corruption, and the oppression faced by women were all brought to light in Episode 2, and this chapter continues to hone in on these themes.
At the start of “The Color Purple”, Rani announces the bank’s new welfare program that helps start new businesses. She officially states that Lily’s business is the first venture. In the next scene, Ayesha tells her manager that she’d like to work under Deepak; she’s told that she’s lucky to be working for the bank after being initially fired and that she should focus on the welfare schemes. This narrative that women shouldn’t ask for what they want continues in “The Color Purple”, and it’s uncomfortable to watch.
Desperate for the deal, desperate for a family
Fatima wants funding from other banks to help put through a deal; Deepak can sense that Fatima is desperate to save her job and asks her to be careful. Afterward, Fatima broaches surrogacy to het husband Arijay as she wants a child with him. The couple meets a doctor about the process. As the doctor breaks it down, Fatima has to leave due to work.
Later on, Arijay struggles to produce his sperm for surrogacy and asks his wife, Fatima, for help. It later transpires that Fatima is understandably insecure about surrogacy; the pressure to have children is overwhelming her. It feels like an uncontrollable situation.
Switching places
Ayesha is checking out properties now she has a secure job. She senses opportunity and anticipation. Back at her ex’s house, the girlfriend gets angry at her boyfriend and Ayesha — she tells her to get out. She moves in with Ron temporarily. Later in the night, she texts Chitra as Shai narrates about burning desire.
Taking Shai out
Rani breaks a promise to Shai to take her out shopping because she’s taking part in a talk for “Women in Business Leadership”. Ayesha offers to take Shai out for shopping, and she gives her advice on new clothes for certain body types. They then smoke a cigarette together; she’s denied an apartment as they saw her with Shai smoking, and they make a big deal out of it, calling it a “family environment”.
Chitra still enchants Ayesha
After freaking out over kissing her in the last episode, Ayesha watches Chitra sing at a bar. Chitra sings a song, and it’s about Ayesha, who is lost in her singing voice. Shai narrates about being comfortable in her own body, and then the scene flits to Ayesha and Chitra having sex. The next morning, Ayesha admires Chitra while she sleeps. As they get ready for the day, Chitra senses that Ayesha is bisexual, which causes an awkward conversation — not only does she sense that she’s bisexual, which doesn’t seem to be the overriding problem, but she knows Ayesha is not comfortable with her sexuality. When Ayesha gets into work, Ron is funny with her and asks her to tell him next time she’s out having fun and not coming back before moodily walking off.
Again, it seems to the men that can make the orders, the decisions, and their behavior is seen as acceptable.
Affairs and getting ousted
Rani continues her affair with a business associate. She’s in deep. Outside the hotel where they are having an affair, someone is recording them leaving. Meanwhile, Ayesha is out drinking with Deepak, who seems to have taken a liking to her. Shai narrates about women having a choice with their own bodies, which is clearly not the case for these characters. As she narrates, Lily sees a fire outside her new establishment — the fire spells “go away whore” — it was done by a municipal corporator nearby who is trying to stop her business. She feels ousted while her bank associates are not answering her calls. Things are falling apart very quickly.
The ending
Ayesha’s phone dies, so Deepak offers her a ride home. He starts to touch her leg as she charges her phone and then kisses her. Ayesha says no, but Deepak persists for a few moments. Deepak stops and calls her a tease; Lily can see all this happening from a distance. Eventually, Deepak drops her off.
Bombay Begums season 1, episode 3 continues to be heavy on the themes and discusses women having ownership of their bodies in another revealing chapter.
