The phenomenal popularity of the French television series Lupin produced by Netflix, which chalked up a viewership of 76 million in the first quarter of this year, is arguably an inflection point in race relations around the world. In most European countries, including France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Denmark, Lupin topped the popularity charts for several weeks and was the #1 show in Canada, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa. In the US too, Lupin became the first French serial to enter the Top 10 list, and rose to #1. Significantly it also topped India Today’s chart of the most popular English language TV series for several weeks. The factor behind the global success of Lupin is certainly not its wafer thin plot, but the casting of Omar Sy as Assane Diop. Diop is an avid admirer of gentleman thief and master of disguise Arsenne Lupin, a fictional character created in 1905 by French writer Maurice Leblanc who wrote 17 novels and 39 novellas detailing the adventures of this insouciant hero who made wicked establishment grandees pay for their sins, and won fair ladies while always remaining two steps ahead of the law.

The social significance of the runaway success of Lupin is that unlike black heroes in Hollywood and Western cinema
of yesteryear — a dark-skinned Indian, let alone an African hero, is beyond the imagination of the braindead badshahs of Bollywood and its regional clones — who were black-skinned but endowed with aquiline Caucasian features, Omar Sy is uncompromisingly African — large size, pronounced nose and lips, the works. However his social confidence and total lack of racial self-consciousness is extraordinary. And the fact that this television serial has become a global hit, is proof of shattering stereotypes, receding racism and acceptance of the diversity of humankind.

But as usual this awareness that handsome is that handsome does, is yet to dawn on subcontinentals still mired in atavistic caste, communal and colour prejudices. Truth is if one can’t appreciate a Picasso, the fault is not of the artist.