Priyanka Taslim's "The Love Match"

Priyanka Taslim is a Bangladeshi American writer, teacher, and lifelong New Jersey resident. Having grown up in a bustling Bangladeshi diaspora community, surrounded by her mother’s entire clan and many aunties of no relation, her writing often features families, communities, and all the drama therein. Currently, Taslim teaches English by day and tells all kinds of stories about Bangladeshi characters by night. Her writing usually stars spunky Bangladeshi heroines finding their place in the world—and a little swoony romance, too.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Love Match:

The Love Match begins with a prologue explaining tropes in Bengali natoks—the Bangla-language equivalent of Bollywood. Like a Bollywood movie or natok, this young adult romantic comedy is meant to feel cinematic, full of tropes, twists, turns—and even a musical number or two. The Love Match stars Zahra Khan, a Bangladeshi American teen who schemes to fake date the boy she’s set up with to keep both of their families happy, even as they sabotage the relationship from within. However, her real, growing feelings for a new coworker at the neighborhood tea shop where she waitresses might ruin all her plans.

Because I wrote The Love Match to feel like an American natok, I’ve pondered a potential cast to play the characters often. In an ideal world, there would not just be a large pool of South Asian diaspora actors to choose from, but specifically Bangladeshi actors, especially actors who can play teens, but since that’s not the case, I think Zahra would best be played by someone like Charithra Chandran, who became known after the second season of Bridgerton. Charithra has a Bambi-eyed, almost Disney-princess-ish disposition, but she seems spitfire beneath the surface as well, which is perfect for Zahra.

Nayim is the easiest answer for me because I always took inspiration from a particular actor/character when creating him—Avan Jogia, specifically in the role of Beck from the teen series Victorious. Although it’s not explicitly stated that he’s South Asian in the show, Avan’s character was the first time I ever saw a cool brown love interest. Nayim is also a musician and very charismatic, but in a different way. Whereas Beck was moody and edgy, I think Nayim is a heartthrob in a sweet way. His name even means happy!

Harun, on the other hand, is the toughest to cast. I’ve always thought a younger, teenage Sendhil Ramamurthy would play him well, because he has the broad jaw, the dark curls, and Harun’s complexion. It’s unfortunate that Sendhil never got to play a hero in a romcom because he’s very handsome.

I hope books like The Love Match and the more diverse media we’ve been getting in general slowly help to create more opportunities for South Asian actors. I do, at least, have a perfect director in mind if The Love Match ever gets an adaptation: Gurinder Chadha. I adore the work Gurinder did on films such as Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice, and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. I think she could perfectly capture the vibrancy of Paterson, the Auntie Network always gossiping about the events of the story, and the fluttery feelings of teenage first love that suffuse The Love Match.

Visit Priyanka Taslim's website.

--Marshal Zeringue