‘Bridgerton’ Star Charithra Chandran on Edwina & Kate’s Evolving Sister Bond
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Bridgerton is back and introducing a whole new set of characters with the arrival of the Sharma family, comprised of mother, Lady Mary (Shelley Conn), and daughters Kate (Simone Ashley) and Edwina (Charithra Chandran).
Of course, like any new thing in the ton, the Sharmas grab a lot of attention when they move from India to London, particularly the Viscount, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). “Their mom has connections to the ton,” Chandran explains. And although they weren’t raised in the environment they now find themselves in, “they are familiar with its workings.”
(Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Shunned for reasons that are revealed over the course of the season, Lady Mary’s return with her daughters raises some eyebrows, in good ways and bad. Thankfully, they have Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) by their side, guiding them into the social season.
“It’s really exciting to be able to play that perspective,” Chandran shares. “They have different customs, a different background, and they’re being transplanted into this new environment, and that brings a whole new element to it all.”
At the heart of this season is the bond between sisters Kate and Edwina. As the eldest, Kate is determined to find her younger sister Edwina a love match, but there’s more than one reason she’d like to do so. “The relationship flows one way. Kate’s the teacher, Edwina’s the student. And what we see across the season is a really genuine portrayal of sisterhood in that there’s such a foundation of deep love, but that doesn’t always mean it’s happiness, sunshine, roses,” Chandran clarifies.
(Credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix)
Things become more than a little strained when Anthony starts courting Edwina as Kate can’t seem to stand the Viscount who initially caught her eye. The reason stems from his stance against finding a love match and just procuring a proper partner. Kate wants more for Edwina, but there are also simmering tensions under the surface regarding her own feelings for Anthony.
“There are high points, there are low points,” Chandran concludes. But that doesn’t mean it has to last forever. “I like to think that they both go on a journey of having a healthier, more equitable relationship with each other, where Kate and Edwina are on parity rather than one being sort of dominating the other,” Chandran teases of their relationship evolving over the season.
“By the end, Kate and Edwina are still working through their issues because what they’ve been through is significant,” Chandran hints. And part of their issues is Kate’s belief that her sister is naive about the world, “she’s not as naive as people would anticipate,” Chandran says. “I think she really does want love because she grew up with Kate telling her wonderful love stories and fairy tales. But I also think she really loves the idea of running a household, hosting balls, and being a [wife].”
“And the reality is, Anthony pursues her and she genuinely does fall in love with [him]. Of course, she does because he has perfectly curated himself to be Edwina’s perfect match,” Chandran says. Whether that transforms into anything serious in the story will remain to be seen onscreen.
Find out how Edwina’s story unfolds in Bridgerton‘s second season on Netflix.
Bridgerton, Season 2, Streaming now, Netflix
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