Nimisha Mukerji On Why She Needed to Direct Episode Four of Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge’

Under the Bridge goes beyond the ‘true crime’ moniker that so many series in the Emmy race fall under. The limited series hopeful retells the murder of Reena Virk so carefully that we something feel like we are slipping in an out of a documentary and we are witnessing words spoken and actions held to account in real time. Episode four, however, flashes us back to show how the Virk family, particularly Reena’s grandparents, faced adversity but found a lifeline to hold onto. No one could’ve directed this episode like Nimisha Mukerji has, and she deserves to be in contention for Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

It’s possible that people miss the fact that Under the Bridge is based on true events because they are so drawn into the story. Mukerji, however, knows this story all too well, and she reveals how she couldn’t shake it.

“I responded to it on such a profound level, because Reena Virk and I were born in the same year,” Mukerji says. “My family moved from out east to Vancouver about 6 or 8 months before Reena was murdered, so that time is very embedded in my memories. I remember being 14 and being bullied myself, and I had such a horrible experience trying to work with the mean girls to make friends. I tried to get into that group since they had all the power, and so much about this story clicked. Seeing Reena’s case in real time–from the announcement of her murder to the court case–is such a formative part of my memories at that age. This case has haunted me for decades, and now I am a parent myself. I saw the case as a 14 year old, and I thought it gave me a personal way to approach this particular script.”

Some may wonder why the story should go backwards when there is so much to unpack in terms of the arrests and the inevitable court case. A lot of limited series go back in time, and a flashback sometimes feels like it’s there to just help pad a series episode order. This is assuredly not the case in the episode of Under the Bridge called “Beautiful British Columbia.” It’s essential, enlightening, and deeply, deeply felt. In order for an audience to understand how this family felt generation after generation, it’s necessary go back to highlight the optimism and hope.

“The advantage of having this be kind of a standalone episode allowed me to approach it as a mini movie,” Mukerji says. “The script allows it to stand alone, in a lot of ways. Quinn [Shephard] and Samir [Mehta] were so supportive of including this history, because it does contextualize the culture, religious choices, and connect it directly to some of the things that Reena is experiencing so that we see them outside of the weeks leading up to the murder. We understand what their dream was for their family, and how communication, circumstances, culture, and so many things are out of their control can contribute to the situation that they end up in. What makes this episode so universal is understanding the struggle of the parents, Reena, and the family as a whole.

“There are many moments in this episode that are full of love. With the scene with the earrings, Suman is talking about carrying on a tradition and history–they weren’t just here. My own parents’ story has informed me and how I looked at myself, especially as a teenage. There is an identity crisis of where you belong, and a lot of children of immigrants don’t feel like they belong in their own home. That’s not her parents’ fault, but that’s something you encounter when you are navigating multiple cultures at once. It’s hard for us to feel empathetic for Reena at the end, but I hope that, with an episode from her point of view, it shows the complexities for her and how she guides that for herself. It’s an episode full of forgiveness.”

Suman and Manjit invite Reena’s friends over so they have the advantage of seeing where their daughter came from. Josephine scoffs at the idea initially, but she eventually warms up to it. Upon their arrival, she, Kelly, and Dusty descend on their home and quickly take in their surroundings. Manjit and Suman are watching them as much as they are being watched. There is a level of discomfort at play since we know what happens to Reena, but Mukerji balances a lot of energy at play.

“There was a lot of ad-libbing between Dusty and Reena, because we were trying to keep that established feeling of a lot of things happening all at once,” she says. “Manjit is talking with Suman, Dusty and Reena are moving around while a look is being exchanged between Jo and Kelly. It was about having a strong energy between all the characters when they come in, and there is an invasion moment. They take over, because you realize very quickly that even Kelly’s mom is jealous of. Archie [Panjabi] plays that moment so beautifully, and you’re made to feel small in your own home. Kelly’s mom makes her feel that way, and we see how the girls work to make Reena feel that way with Dusty being the exception. You can see that these two girls like each other, and Dusty wants to be Reena’s friend. You can feel the energy from her. That whole section is about alliances and trying to gain power from someone else, and it’s all just girls being girls.”

It’s important to notice that Suman tells Reena about her plans to give her the jhumkas in front of her friends. It’s a simple exchange, but the look on Vritika Gupta’s face speaks volumes. For most of the series, they are at odds with one another with so much left unsaid. Archie Panjabi plays the scene so beautifully.

“It’s a moment that shows that Reena has something that the other girls don’t have,” Mukerji says. “That is especially true for Josephine. It’s not always that Reena is trying to be like them but she’s trying to stand out, but she has a foundation that Jo wants. On the surface, you think that she wants to be like Jo, but, in that moment, we know that Reena has something special that the other girls don’t have. The other girls really want what Reena has.”

After her friends leave on a sour note, we can feel how their presence is sticking to Reena’s body. It feels like she has to shake off their energy before she can be around her parents sometimes. In turn, Manjir and Suman do not want too push too harshly in fear of pushing Reena away even more. It’s a frustrating feeling that, I’m sure, a lot of parents feel. Mukerji helps us feel their helplessness.

“They are so terrified of losing her,” Mukerji says, thoughtfully. “And they were right. That’s what’s so hard about this series is that they have that frustration of something like if they let her have her bedroom door, they won’t know what’s going on. That’s why they invite the friends over in the first place, and they want to understand this world that she has run into. Manjit and Suman care so deeply about her, and they just don’t know how to help her. They can feel something is wrong.”

Under the Bridge is streaming now on Hulu.