In this SonyLIV series set against the backdrop of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Kantilal, a lawyer, and his fellow companions, Ali Allahbaksh, Hari Singh Aulakh and Poonam, are thrust into a web of colonial deceit when the Hunter commission distorts history to favour the ruling empire. Facing racism and dangers of all kinds in every way, Kantilal must unravel a conspiracy that threatens to take everything that he holds dear. Will they be able to expose the truth or find themselves lost in this mirage?
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The Waking of a Nation Series Cast
Taaruk Raina, Nikita Dutta, Sahil Mehta, Bhawsheel Singh, Alex Reece, Paul McEwan
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The Waking of a Nation SonyLIV Director
Ram Madhvani
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The Waking of a Nation Writers
Shantanu Srivastava, Shatrujeet Nath, Ram Madhvani
The series has 6 episodes, each with a runtime of around 45 minutes.
The Waking of a Nation Review
In The Waking of a Nation, Taaruk Raina is a lawyer whose loyalty to the British crown is shattered once he opens his eyes to the atrocities that they are doling out against his fellow countrymen. The series is an expected but moving portrayal of the hardships of our ancestors and the schemes that were brought forth by the British Raj to keep the country under their thumb.
There’s something magnetic about Raina, on whose shoulders this series rests. He is one of my favourite characters in the Prajakta Koli-Rohit Saraf starrer Mistmatched and he’s fantastic in this as well. This one is obviously a very serious show showcasing the inhumane behaviour and the horrible racism faced by Indians on their own land at the hands of outsiders. The story is infuriating enough to keep viewers hooked — the sheer amount of hate-watch that this topic can incite is almost maddening! Every new episode brings with it something horrible and you can’t help but fume at the hypocrisy and the sliminess of it all.
However, I think The Waking of a Nation is for a very specific audience. The series is told through Kantilal retelling the truth behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and what happened before and after one of the most horrible incidents in Indian history. It showcases the good and bad things that happened in Kantilal’s own life, specifically regarding his friends Ali Allahbaksh, Hari Singh Aulakh and Poonam. There are moments that will make viewers happy, but it’s a slow and somewhat known story that doesn’t do anything particularly new.
Sure, Kantilal’s personal struggles and his awakening are quite thrilling and take us on this rollercoaster of emotions. It is relatable in today’s political climate as well since it makes us aware of how the bigger politics at play. But it really isn’t for people who aren’t interested in revisiting history and there are several moments the series feels stagnant.
Final Thoughts
Taaruk Raina’s fantastic performance keeps the ball rolling in The Waking of a Nation. It’s a tense and thrilling affair, but one that feels quite slow at times.