It has almost been a month since the release of Bridgerton season 2 on Netflix. As we all saw coming, both of the Sharma sisters took the ton by storm. The actresses who play these roles, Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, haven’t left less of a mark either. Despite conflicting views on the Netflix version of Edwina, Chandran has been supportive of the character and her actions. Here’s an interview of her talking about the same:

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Why are fans’ views on Edwina divided?

The Edwina Sharma (Sheffield in the books) fans have read about differs greatly from the one we see in the Netflix Original. Edwina in Julia Quinn’s novels is a determined young woman who knows what she wants. She is aware of her family’s financial conditions. Hence, she does everything in her power to make sure she can fix their circumstances. Although her relationship with Kate is pretty much the same, she isn’t as infatuated with Anthony as in the series. This little detail changes a lot of the plot.

As for the series, Edwina is much more headstrong. By the time she figures out what went on between her sister and brother without her knowledge, she is sure to put herself first and act accordingly. Although the two versions of the character were very similar initially, their character arcs are drastically different in the end.

Fans who have read the books have a clear idea of what they expect from Edwina. Hence, when they see a completely different version of the same, they are naturally left disappointed.

What does Charithra Chandran have to say about this?

Chandran’s first comment on fans’ polarizing views of Edwina is that “any storytelling is from a very specific perspective.” In Bridgerton season 2, what we mostly see is through Kate and Anthony. Edwina is merely another person they are seeing through someone else’s eyes. Hence, Chandran talks about how fans haven’t had the time to explore Edwina from the Netflix series to be able to have a fuller understanding of the character.

However, Charithra Chandran shows that she was the perfect choice to play this season’s diamond by summing it up perfectly. She says, “if people feel an emotion, I think we’ve done our job right.” The intense plot that went down between Edwina, Kate, and Anthony might not have been in the good books of the entire fanbase. But, it did successfully convey a message and a story.

We saw an amiable and naive young girl turn into a smarter version of herself who makes decisions that she knows will benefit her. After her anger fades away, we see that Edwina is just as kind as ever, but is kinder to herself than she was before. The character sets an example of self-love to fans, irrespective of the fact that the series might have slightly diverted from the books.

Bridgerton season 2 is available for streaming on Netflix.