ZEE5’s latest original Naxalbari is a powerful and hard-hitting series that tackles the complex subject of Naxalism. This 8-episode series tells you the story of an STF agent Raghav Joshi (Rajeev Khandelwal) who’s sent on a perilous mission to Gadchiroli to fight the growing menace of Naxalism. The show has been directed by Partho Mitra and produced by Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartik Nishandar.
Naxalbari makes for terrific viewing as it keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end.
It’s high on suspense, tension and thrills and takes you into a territory that has still not been fully explored on screen.
The show begins with a ruling party MLA being killed in a bomb blast in Naxal-infested Gadchiroli. The mastermind behind this dastardly attack is Naxal leader Binu Atram (Shakti Anand). Binu has two loyal proteges - Pahaan (Satyadeep Misra) and Prakruti (Sreejita De). All of them work at the orders of Baba. We only hear Baba’s voice throughout the show until his identity is revealed at the end
Raghav is a competent cop, but his father, the Police Commissioner of Mumbai, is tired of his wayward ways. In order to teach Raghav a lesson, he transfers his son to Gadchiroli to investigate the blast and its link to Naxals. Raghav’s friend and colleague Mohit is his one true pillar of support. In the meanwhile, another top cop, who has been tracking the Naxalite movement for years, is also conducting a parallel probe into the same case.
As Raghav’s investigation in the conflict-ridden region progresses, he learns of dangerous secrets about the Naxals and their larger plans. He discovers that the arms revolution that was once restricted to jungles is now thriving in urban areas too. Raghav has a girlfriend back in the city named Ketki (Tina Datta).
The canvas of the story only gets bigger with the introduction of an industrialist Sisodia who wants to set up a mining plant in Gadchiroli.
This becomes a cause of further conflict as it will mean displacing adivasis from their natural habitat. Sisodia works in close consultation with his trusted aide Keswani (Aamir Ali).
Mohit is killed during the course of the investigation. This is when the fight becomes personal for Raghav and he’s now determined to get to the root of the Naxalism problem.
The thrill quotient of the show goes up several notches when Raghav gets kidnapped by Naxalites. More secrets and shocking revelations come to the fore, including some that have to do with his own past.
The action-packed season ends on an extremely intriguing note, making you hope for the second season to come faster.
Naxalism is a complex, sensitive and polarising subject and director Partho Mitra has handled it deftly. The screenplay and dialogues have been penned by Pulkit Rishi and Prakhar Vihaan.
While the series is a work of fiction, it feels raw and real, and that’s one of its biggest strengths. The portions involving the Naxals have been so well-shot that they send a chill down your spine. Much of the credit for this goes to DOPs Hari Nair and Modhura Palit and action director Aejaz Gulab. The background score by Paresh Shah further enhances the viewing experience.
Naxalbari boasts of amazing performances.
The surprise package of the show has got to be Aamir Ali.
His character has this air of mystery about him and Aamir has pulled it off very well. And that sudden twist in the end is nothing short of a game-changer. We hadn’t seen that coming. By far, he definitely has the best character arc on the show.
Rajeev Khandelwal is excellent as a man racing against time to uncover the truth. As Naxalites fighting an ideological war, Shakti Anand, Satyadeep Misra and Sreejita De are in solid form. Tina Datta is effective in her role.
Verdict
Naxalbari is a riveting show that lays bare uncomfortable truths about a subject that we all might have only read about or seen in the news. It’s packed with enough moments to keep you hooked throughout. We are going with 4 out of 5 stars.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)