Mexican author Laura Esquivel has voiced her disagreement with the HBO series based on her novel 'Como agua para chocolate', produced by Salma Hayek. She argues that the production shifts the original focus by emphasizing the Mexican Revolution over female liberation. Esquivel regrets changes to character names and a portrayal that does not match her intent.
Laura Esquivel, author of the 1989 novel 'Como agua para chocolate', revealed in an interview with Sin Embargo the reasons she does not identify with the HBO series adapting her work. The story follows Tita de la Garza, a character inspired by a real figure, across two seasons totaling 12 episodes. The first season is available, while the remaining second-season episodes will premiere in April, such as the third on April 4, the fourth on April 11, the fifth on April 18, and the sixth on April 25.
Esquivel criticized the series as a 'free version' that borrows traits from the text but alters key elements. For instance, the character Chencha was renamed Nacha, deemed the original denigrating. 'There are parts of the novel, yes, but it is no longer a translation of my work or my intention', the writer stated.
She noted that the emphasis on Mexican Revolution conflicts, like escapes and military repression, overshadows the core theme of female liberation. 'They recreated more of the Mexican Revolution, something that was never my intention; I set it in that historical moment precisely to speak against that kind of change', she explained. The novel explores three women: the eldest maintaining the status quo, the second embodying feminist struggle, and Tita transforming the kitchen into a space of power and autonomy.
'And Tita's stance is that, by tradition, she could not marry, had to care for her mother; she was only an object of her mother, born for that. In the second part, she becomes a subject with decisions', she added. Regarding Mamá Elena, Esquivel views her as a symbol of a repressive family system, not merely a villain.
Meanwhile, Andrés Baida, who plays Pedro Muzquiz, defended the series' message. 'The true revolution starts from the kitchens (…) seeing how Tita revolutionizes everything from within and breaks those traditions', he said in a press conference reported by EFE. The series is available on HBO Max with a subscription.
