For fans of #PrakashJha who made movies like #Gangajal and #Apaharan, the crime and violence sagas of the Bihar badlands remain a treat. And as I wondered what to watch next, I came across this ten part series that is seemingly inspired by true life events but creates a whole new world centered around misogyny, caste politics, criminal-politician nexus and rampant corruption. But this time with an apparently hapless woman in the centre.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #SubhashKapoor’s #Maharani, streaming on #SonyLiv.
#Maharani is the story of Rani Bharati (#HumaQureshi) who is married to the Chief Minister of Bihar, Bhima Bharati (#ShumShah) but is not just interested; she abhors politics. She is at home far away from Patna, tending to her children and the cows. She makes her truant husband who spends more time in Patna go out and milk the cows to teach him a lesson. An unfortunate attack on Bhima’s life leads to an unusual turn of events and Rani takes over the mantle of the Chief Minister. As she traverses the journey from her rasoi ghar all the way to the highest office and manages not just to learn the ropes of the political machinery but in fact stand up for her principles, the naivety transforms into a worldly wisdom that can only come from being a woman of substance.
In one of the early scenes, Rani mistakes the Sachivalaay (Legislature ) for the Sauvhalaya (washroom) and you cringe at the quality of writing. As the episodes buzz past, you notice that things improve and a whole attention to detail has been placed on the recent politics of the state including the fodder scam. The problem through is that this show is over-written and the only saving grace is the feisty spirit that #HumaQureshi brings to the table.
Yes, the references are to Rabri Devi, Laloo Yadav and Nitish Kumar. But not quite exactly them either. The dramatisation of politics is pretty elaborate with horse-trading, corruption, the hold of religion with regard to the vote bank and the naxal influence. However, the focus is not quite there, especially in the second half when the narrative eschews the lead protagonist and emphasizes the political manoeuvring.
#AmitSial as the opposition leader is brilliant and puts in a commendable performance. Director #KaranSharma focuses on the dialogues; one translates as Bihar not being a state; but a state of mind. There is another one that refers to Mukhiya as being not a person, but an ideology that stands for the oppressed castes in the state. #MukeshChhabra’s casting choices are bit strange with #KaniKusurthi playing the Malayalai OSD to the CM, Kaveri Sreedharan, who becomes a staunch ally as the show progresses. Then there is #KannanArunachalam who plays the state DGP, SiddhantGautam. Others in the cast include #Inaamulhaq as the persistent bureaucrat Parvez Alam, #VineetKumar as Gauri Shankar Prasad and #AtulTiwari as Governor Govardhan.
#Maharani is like a buffet spread that has all the 24 courses in it but lacks the spice that holds it all together. The show seems to focus on showcasing a deep exploration of the political happenings. In the process, the transformation of the ‘angootachaap’ woman to someone who can stand up for her convictions is too simplistic. You begin to wonder whether that was a priority at all. #HumaQureshi is honest and puts in an earnest performance but perhaps not just enough to pull this one through!
