Maharani directed by Karan Sharma and created by Subhash Kapoor is slackly based on the famous fodder scam. The scam is one of the most controversial corruption scandals in the history of Indian Politics. The embezzlement of around 9.4 billion from the government funds shocked the entire nation. The story highlights the scam and the story of an illiterate woman Rani Bharti, who carries the glance of Rabri Devi, wife of Lalu Prasad Yadav who was appointed as CM in 1997 because Lalu Prasad Yadav had to resign from his post due to his involvement in the fodder scam. But, the SonyLiv 10 episodes’ series is not based on Lalu and Rabri’s life.
The Sonyliv series Maharani revolves around the character of Rani Bharti (Huma Qureshi) who accidentally becomes the Chief Minister of Bihar after her husband current CM Bheema Bharti (Soham Shah) survives an assassination attack and gets paralyzed on one side of his body. This move by Bheema Bharti which shocked the opposition was purely to save the seat and retain the power in his hand. But, to his surprise, the move screwed his entire political career and landed him in jail. From “Anghoota Chaap to becoming a Maharani of the Bihar”, Huma Qureshi as Maharani, has won the audience’s heart with her acting skills.
The star cast:
Huma Qureshi in the lead role as Rani Bharati
Soham Shah as Bheema Bharati (Tumbaad and Talvar fame)
Amit Dial as Navin Kumar
Pramod Pathak as Mishra Ji
Kani Kuriti as Kavel Seedha Ram
Atul Tiwari as Governor Goverdhan Daas
Inaamulhaq as Parvez Aalam.
Is Maharani based on a true event?
Huma Qureshi portrays the role of CM of Bihar – Rani Bharti, therefore the series gets linked to Rabri Devi’s life and her career in politics. Before becoming a CM, Rani Bharti was a dutiful housewife but gets elected as CM after her husband Bheema Bharti gets shot and had to resign due to health reasons. The series depicts the role of a simple housewife turned politicians and how she shapes her political career and overcomes odds in male-dominated Indian politics. So, I won’t say it’s the story of Rabri Devi and Lalu Prasad Yadav, but the audience will witness few similarities between both the characters.
Huma Qureshi as Maharani:
Huma as Rani Bharati was the ultimate choice for the role. She has done justice to the role of Rani Bharati as a housewife and later as a CM. The role could have easily bombed her position in the industry. But, her body language, dialogue delivery, attire, and appearance portrayed her as a strong independent woman who can run the house as well as the country. She nailed the role with perfect accent and dialect. Apart from Huma, Sohum Shah and Amit Sial were also an ideal choice. Even Kani Kusruti’s performance was gripping as an IAS officer working closely with the CM Rani Bharati.
All the characters carry the story with spark and dynamism, as they keep the audience glued to their seats and takes them to the era when the internet was not prevalent. My personal favorite was Inaamulhaq as Parvez Aalam, his Bengali accent added an extra flavor.
A bit fast-paced:
As an audience, I feel the transformation of Rani Bharati from “an anghoota chaap housewife to a sharp politician” was quite sudden, just like a blink of an eye. A gradual change would have taken the story to a different level. The story was also a bit underwritten and showcases blurred staging of Bihar politics. It’s the actors who have covered this part with their fabulous performance. The creators have also introduced many subplots such as a baba who has a huge fan following, fodder scam, caste, etc. which gets lost in the series.
A Must Watch
The 10 episodes’ series Maharani released on 28th May is worth watching. The story set in Bihar in the 1990s has all the interesting elements which an audience looks for. The star cast is outstanding. There is also a plethora of talent under one roof. The Sonyliv series will keep the audience entertained.
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