Director Ram Madhvani on the set of the web series Waking of a Nation

The web series suffers somewhat from the constant back and forth and also the theatrical nature of the courtroom proceedings still the series is worth watching. Apart from exploring the events leading up to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre the series also gives an underlying message on the importance of unity

Starcast: Taaruk Raina, Sahil Mehta, Nikita Dutt, Carl Wharton and others

Director and creator: Ram Madhvani

Writers: Shantanu Srivastava and Shatrujeeth Nath

Genre: Historical Drama

No of episodes: 6

Streaming site: Sonyliv

Cinematography: Kavya Sharma

Music: Sameer Uddin

Producers: Ram Madhvani and Amita Madhvani

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is easily one of the most gut wrenching chapters in Indian history. The blood bath which took place on the peaceful protesters that day can never be forgotten. The Jallianwala Bagh episode has already been explored with gut wrenching affect by director Shoojit Sarcar in the moving biopic of Sardar Udham Singh portrayed masterfully by Vicky Kaushal. The 2006 movie Rang De Basanti also featured a crucial subplot related to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Ram Madhvani’s latest directorial is more about the events which trigged the massive bloodbath through the character of Kantilal Sahani (Taaruk Raina).

Kantilal Sahani is a member of the Hunter commission . Kantilal Sahani is a young lawyer newly returned from London. He is a beneficiary of western education. This makes him an outsider amongst the friends group something which he is always reminded about. This character of Kantilal Sahani is supposedly inspired from Sri Chamanlal Harilal Setalvad. A man known for cross examining General Dyer. Through the turbulent journey of Kantilal Sahani the web series explores the ideological struggles of the times between various aspects like reform and revolution etc. The close knit friends of Kantilal Sahani include Ali Allahbaksh (Sahil Mehta) and Poonam Aulakh (Nikita Dutta) among others. The friends represent different perspectives of the Indian freedom movement embodying the diversity of India both religious and ideological.

An image from Waking Of a Nation

A strong aspect of the web series is how Ram Madhvani along with his writers dwell into the political environment leading up to the bloody massacre. Ram Madhvani and the writers are particularly successful in shedding light on the controversial Rowlett act. This Rowlett act gave Britishers complete freedom to imprison individuals without any trial.

A major portion of the web series is about the aftermath specifically the hunter commission inquiry meant to investigate the massacre. The courtroom drama though bordering on theatrics offers a fresh lens.

A very interesting aspect of the web series is also how Ram Madhavani depicts the massacre. He avoids the explicit route instead the reliance is more on sound design and the panic stricken reactions of the people present there along with the not visible carnage makes for a haunting experience.

He allows the viewers to interpret and fill in the gaps using their own imagination. This method leaves a much more impact than the use of graphic method.

The friendship angle and the creeping ideological differences between Kantilal Sahani and his friends has also come out well. The journey of Kantilal Sahani both internally and externally has been well written and brilliantly performed by Taaruk Raina. There is a very poignant moment where Kantilal Sahani imagines his group of friends whom he has lost along the way. The audiences see Kantilal pouring out his anguish on how he has been left behind with so many families looking at him as a beacon of hope. In the same portion there is a key revelation acting as a layer of guilt. This acts as a major trigger point for the case Kantilal is fighting. Previously the viewers see that Kantilal has major ambitions of going to London. While he is fighting the case an unofficial offer is made to him but Kantilal refuses.

These events show the growth of Kantilal. There is another equally poignant bit where he reads out the names of the people who have lost lives in the massacre. The pain in the eyes of Kantilal perfectly reflects emotions which others in the room are also undergoing.

The web series also subtly touches upon the aspect of racial discrimination followed not just by the British but Indians too along with the tendency of discrimination on the basis of religion and caste. The underlying message of how we need to be united irrespective of which religion and caste we come holds a lot of relevance to today’s political environment.

Waking Of a Nation is very non linear in style with multiple timelines. This for a section of people can prove to be a major hindrance. Also the web series can feel sluggish for some given the deliberate slow pace.

The cinematography of Kavya Sharma is also of a very high order. He brings the colonial times to life with his fantastic cinematography. His camerawork deserves a special mention too in the recreation of 1919 Amritsar along with the massacre. The soundtrack of Sameer Uddin is haunting as well perfectly capturing the emotional turmoil.

Apart from Taaruk Raina Sahil Mehta also deserves major appreciation for his striking performance in the role of Allahbaksh. Allahbaksh is often assertive with his ideology and acts as a major foundation for the change in Kantilal.

The British characters thankfully don’t speak in broken Hindi. Among the foreign actors Carl Wharton is top notch as the head of human rights commission. Alexander West as General Dyer is also successful in making the viewers hate him. Paul Mcewan as Michael O’ Dyyer is understated yet highly effective as a man who is extremely calculative.

Alexander West as General Dyer

Final Word: Waking of a Nation is a searing take, a must watch for fans of detailed history lessons.