Before Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Udham Singh, there were those who said hamare baad aur bhi aayenge. Nikkhil Advani’s latest web series The Revolutionaries is the story of some of those lesser-known real-life heroes who led India’s freedom struggle through force, rather than Mahatma Gandhi’s path of non-violence.
Based on Sanjeev Sanyal’s book of the same name, the Prime Video series was promised as “a story of swashbuckling adventure” that follows Rash Behari Bose, Sachindranath Sanyal, and Bagha Jatin who wanted to uproot the British Raj from India to usher in the freedom that would arrive at midnight years after their deaths. There is a lot of adventure, blood, and kickass action, but just as many of the freedom fighters eventually die waiting for azaadi to arrive, we too are left waiting for that kraanti in the narrative.
What doesn’t help The Revolutionaries is its predecessor’s stupendous success. It’s impossible to watch The Revolutionaries and not compare it with Freedom At Midnight, especially when its part two released in January. Chronologically, the events in The Revolutionaries take place much before those in Freedom At Midnight. But the impact of the Sony LIV series runs so deep that it’s difficult to not watch The Revolutionaries under its shadow, regardless of the differences in the source material and treatment.
Bhuvan Bam, as Rash Behari Bose, gives it his all and more to play the master of disguises. He is our Indian Walter White who cooks a homemade bomb and goes full Heisenberg on Viceroy Lord Hardinge, costing the British official an eye. He is India’s “most wanted” with a ransom of Rs 12,000, a handsome amount for the early 20th century. He is also the troubled soul whose heart longs for freedom, dignity, and equality. Bhuvan Bam is easily one of the few good things about The Revolutionaries.
Sachindranath Sanyal, played by Rohit Saraf, is portrayed like a wannabe freedom fighter who initially doesn’t understand the real cost of revolution. He dreams to be like Rash Behari Bose who is praised by his elder brother Abani Sanyal, essayed by a dignified and solid Tota Roy Chowdhury. The romantic track between Rohit Saraf and Pratibha Ranta, who plays Pratibha Lahiri, is employed to show how a freedom fighter could ‘possibly’ love and live during the time of foreign oppression. Love, after all, is also a form of revolution, but Rohit Saraf and Pratibha Ranta’s story adds little to the grand scheme of The Revolutionaries.
Gurfateh Pirzada, as Jugantar chief Bagha Jatin, gets the shortest end of the stick. A much-revered real-life hero who doesn’t get to do a lot in the show. Paoli Dam, as Pishima, is phenomenal. She is an example of how a smaller role can become a memorable one if written well. Watch out for that blood-boiling sequence with Jason Shah’s Lt General Dyer.
There are chase sequences on land, water, and air, and yet these thrilling moments are few and far between. Sukhwinder Singh’s song Aur Aayenge gives gooseflesh. The old debate of one man’s revolutionary is another man’s terrorist resurfaces. Never a bad time for that.
Amid all the larger-than-life spectacle heroism, The Revolutionaries actually finds its beating heart in the moments where these heroes are scared for their lives, are fighting doubt, dealing with existential crises, and struggling with the very real fear of dying without overthrowing the British. They may run through gunfire, but they get hit by at least one bullet.
Neil Bhoopalam as Lala Har Dayal, Kashish Saluja as Kartar Singh Sarabha, and Pratik Motwani as Maan Singh are honourable mentions. We also see a few familiar faces from Freedom At Midnight: KC Shankar as PN Tagore and Ed Robinson as Calcutta police officer Charles Tegart.
PS: In a key scene, Dyer asks an Englishwoman who is taking Hindi tuitions from Rash Behari Bose, “Ek Bengali se Hindi seekh rahi ho?” I want to know who gave Bengali language lessons to the mostly North Indian cast.
Also Read | Rohit Saraf Shuts Down Pratibha Ranta Dating Rumours, Reveals Connection With The Revolutionaries
