Star Cast: Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Pratibha Ranta, Gurfateh Singh Pirzada
Director: Nikkhil Advani
Synopsis:
THE REVOLUTIONARIES is the story of unsung heroes. Rash Behari Bose (Bhuvan Bam) is an assistant professor in the chemistry department of a college in Dehradun. He has successfully created the impression that he is firmly loyal to the British Crown. In reality, he is secretly plotting to strike at the Empire. On December 23, 1912, he, along with Basanta Kumar Biswas (Rajdeep Bhattacharya), hurls a self-made bomb at the convoy of Lord Hardinge (Richard John Maddison), the Viceroy and Governor-General of India. Hardinge survives, though he is severely injured in the attack. Lt Col Reginald Edward Harry Dyer (Jason Shah) is deeply disturbed by the incident and vows to track down the culprit. His investigation brings him to Dehradun, but Rash Behari Bose escapes in the nick of time. Severely injured, Rash reaches Benaras, where the Sanyal family, headed by Abani (Tota Roy Chaudhary), takes care of his treatment and recovery. The Sanyals have secretly been helping revolutionaries while ensuring that the British remain completely unaware of their activities. Meanwhile, Abani's nephew, Sachindra Nath Sanyal (Rohit Saraf), is no longer content remaining in the shadows. Inspired by Rash Behari Bose, he wants to actively participate in the freedom struggle. While Rash is recuperating at the Sanyal mansion, Sachindra is introduced to Pratibha (Pratibha Ranta) as a prospective bride. Pratibha develops feelings for Sachindra after learning about his revolutionary leanings. Meanwhile, Dyer gets an indication that Rash Behari Bose may be hiding in Benaras and arrives in the holy city. What happens next forms the rest of the series.
The Revolutionaries Story Review:
THE REVOLUTIONARIES is adapted from the book 'Revolutionaries: The Other Side Of How India Won Its Freedom' by Sanjeev Sanyal. Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, Akshita Wadhwana, Shobhit Narang and Rutvi Mehta's story is truly fascinating as it throws light on those freedom fighters that the aam junta might not know about. Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, Akshita Wadhwana, Shobhit Narang and Rutvi Mehta's screenplay is very captivating and also moving in some places. However, the writing gets stretched in some places. Sanyuktha Chawla Shaikh, Akshita Wadhwana, Shobhit Narang and Rutvi Mehta's dialogues are heroic while remaining firmly in sync with the world and tone of the series.
Nikkhil Advani's direction is supreme. THE REVOLUTIONARIES is mounted on a grand scale and it is evident that it is an expensive production. Nikkhil does full justice to the grandeur. More importantly, the series tells the stories of revolutionaries whose names may be familiar to many, but whose extraordinary exploits are not widely known. In fact, viewers would be amazed to learn about what these freedom fighters managed to pull off and how their actions later inspired several other great revolutionaries. And that’s not all. Dyer is largely associated with the ghastly Jallianwala Bagh massacre. This web series attempts to shed light on his life before that infamous episode, though the entire track of him chasing Rash Behari Bose is fictional. Nevertheless, the show effectively brings out his devious mindset and childhood trauma. The freedom fighters are well etched as characters and hence, one constantly roots for them. Several nail-biting sequences stand out, including the thrilling chase in Dehradun, the raid at Bengali Tola in Benaras, the fake funeral in Benaras, the firing in Chandernagore and its aftermath, Pratibha’s daring entry in Chandernagore and the plane crash sequence. The madness at the docks is another highlight, while the climax is memorable.
On the flipside, the web series is too lengthy. There are eight episodes, most of which have a run time of 50 minutes. The makers pack in too much with several characters. Ideally, they should have shortened the proceedings. A few characters like the ever-coughing Kirpal Singh (Riyansh Taneja) appear all of a sudden. Sachindra Nath and Pritabha’s love story develops too quickly and is unconvincing. Even though the love story and the songs are fine, they often take away from the realism of the series. The makers probably wanted to make the series more commercial, but the shift in tonality seems abrupt in some places.
The Revolutionaries Performances:
Bhuvan Bam is astonishing in the role of Rash Behari Bose. The actor has a certain image owing to his funny videos and hence, entrusting him with such a serious role is a risk. Thankfully, it pays off. He has the maximum screen time and delivers a performance that will be remembered. Rohit Saraf, too, breaks his image and comes up with a terrific and heroic act. At the same time, he also impresses in the romantic portions, something that his fans have always loved. Pratibha Ranta leaves a huge mark yet again after LAAPATAA LADIES [2024]. Her character is also quite well fleshed out. Gurfateh Singh Pirzada (Bagha Jatin) makes his presence felt with his performance and screen presence, though he gets a bit overshadowed by the other actors. Jason Shah is outstanding as the antagonist and gets the nuances just right. Tota Roy Chaudhary delivers a dependable performance. Paoli Dam (Pishima) is a revelation, bringing genuine gravitas and grit to the screen. Avijit Dutt (Vishnu Chandra Sanyal) and Kashish Saluja (Kartar Singh Sarabha) make a strong impression. Pratik Laxman Motwani (Maan Singh) gets to play a crucial role and impresses. Riyansh Taneja is over-the-top and unintentionally funny as he plays a character who has supposedly been coughing every 20 or 30 seconds for ten years! Athena Loanna Wyn Vlachos (Rebecca O'Malley) and Liana Hu (Suzie; Chinatown) have limited screen time and yet, are memorable. Others who do well are Richard John Maddison, Edward Lorimer Barnabas Robinson (DCP Charles Tegart), Neil Bhoopalam (Lala Har Dayal), K C Shanker (P N Tagore) and Rajdeep Bhattacharya.
The Revolutionaries music and other technical aspects:
Songs are decent and well-woven into the narrative. ‘Maahiya’ stands out due to its choreography and picturization. ‘Jai Durga’ is grand while ‘Aur Aayenge’ is exhilarating. Ashutosh Pathak's background score is in sync with the mood and theme.
Gairik Sarkar's cinematography enhances the film's visual appeal and grandeur. Amin Khatib's action is entertaining, with only a few scenes turning gory. Zenia Daruvala's costumes and Surabhi Verma's production design effectively recreate the bygone era. The VFX by PhantomFX, Light N Light VFX Studios and Ensision VFX Private Limited is appropriate in some portions, though it looks unrealistic in several scenes. Special mention should go to Dynamite Design's title design, which is quite immersive. Sagar Manik's editing is satisfactory, though it could have been sharper in a few places.
The Revolutionaries Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE REVOLUTIONARIES is a grand, compelling and well-performed historical drama that succeeds in bringing the remarkable stories of lesser-known freedom fighters to the forefront.
Rating - 3.5 stars
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