Kate is Not Originally Indian
Speaking of the leading lady of the second season of Bridgerton, the creators went in a slightly different direction from the books for this one. Kate Sharma played by Simone Ashley of ‘Sex Education’ fame was shown as the love interest of Anthony Bridgerton and a member of a rich Indian family, the Sharmas.
However, there were no Sharmas in the original Julia Quinn novels. Ashley’s character was named Kate Sheffield. The makers renamed her to fit the show’s inclusive casting and Dusen’s idea of a diverse Regency London. According to history buffs, some British officials who were with the East Indian Company would have been involved with Indian women. Their children would then have been brought to England to learn more about the local culture.