Seoul to India! Kiran Rao eyes remake of Reply 1988; What is the popular K-Drama about?

South Korean dramas have found a growing audience in India with their stories of romance, friendship, family and everyday life. Filmmaker Kiran Rao recently has expressed her love for one of her favourite K-dramas and said that she would love to bring it to Indian viewers: the acclaimed series Reply 1988. She praised the show’s portrayal of family relationships and close-knit neighbourhood life and much more.

What is the show Reply 1988 about?

Reply 1988 is a South Korean television series and the third installment of the Reply anthology series. The show tells the story of five childhood friends and their families living in the same Ssangmun-dong neighbourhood in Seoul. It is set primarily in 1988, the year of the Seoul Olympics; the story spans several years into the mid-1990s as the teenagers grow into adulthood.

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The bittersweet transition from youth to adulthood, awkward adolescent crushes, and a long-running husband mystery asking which of the male friends Deok Sun eventually marries. The show places equal emotional weight on the mothers and fathers, exploring their financial hardships, quiet sacrifices and middle-class resilience.

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The K-Dramas feature Sung Dong II, Lee Hwa II, Ryu Hye Young, Lee Hye Ri, Choi Sung Won, Kim Sung Kyun, Ra Mi Ran and Ahn Jae Hong, among others. It became a cultural phenomenon initiating the new K-drama boom in South Korea and is often called a "National Drama".

Reply 1988 is the third instalment in the Reply franchise, following Reply 1997 in 2012 and Reply 1994 in 2013.

Why does Kiran Rao want to remake the South Korean show Reply 1988?

For Kiran Rao, one of the series’ biggest strengths is its treatment of the older generation. The parents have their own ambitions, financial worries, friendships and marital challenges. Their experiences are not reduced to lessons for their children; instead, they are developed as people with complicated lives of their own.

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Speaking on The Popcorn Hour podcast, Rao praised the show’s portrayal of family relationships and close-knit neighbourhood life, particularly the way it gives parents their own stories beyond their children. She said, "The best K-drama is a show called Reply 1988. It's a fantastic show. It's actually set in 1988. In fact, that's something I would love to remake.

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She compared Seoul’s close-knit community to the para culture of Kolkata, where neighbourhood relationships can play an important role in daily life. “The genuine jewels of this show are the older women, the mothers, and the fathers. They are just so good. It's set in a para, as they call it, a neighbourhood in Seoul in 1988. In fact, in Kolkata also you call it para only,” Kiran Rao stated.