Last Update: February 03, 2023, 10:05 IST
With an expanding OTT ecosystem flooded with web series every week, once in a blue moon, there comes a show that completely rocks you with its great story, compelling characters, twists in abundance And the liveliness of churning out exciting scenarios with turns, treating risky subjects with sensitivity while not diluting the entertainment factor and using technical know-how in lieu of storytelling. Sudhir Mishra’s thriller-drama Jehanabad – Of Love And War fits best in this category. Like a double-edged sword, it educates and connects you to the rustic world of Jehanabad, tainted by inequality and yet frothing with love in the most uncertain corners. Ritwik Bhowmik and Harshita Gaur are the soul of the show while Sudhir Mishra takes it forward responsibly through his actors.
The story is set in a small town in Bihar, with two different tracks running parallelly, unaware of each other. The first is Kasturi Mishra (played by Harshita Gaur), a simple but outspoken college student who becomes infatuated with her English literature professor Abhimanyu Singh (played by Ritwik Bhowmik) and falls for him regardless of her mother’s objections. chases after his love. Abhimanyu, on the other hand, is intelligent, calm and reserved whose moral compass points to his qualities of justice and honesty. Kasthuri and Abhimanyu’s bond grows during the first few episodes before merging with the second plot.
The second story follows an opposite and grim trajectory. Jehanabad is a place affected by caste polarisation, mired in political turmoil brought about by two politicians, one in power and the other campaigning for it. The town’s atmosphere is further vitiated by Deepak Kumar (played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay), a radical left-wing extremist who awaits his trial in Jehanabad jail under the supervision of SP Durgesh Pratap Singh (played by Satyadeep Mishra). . With the plot firmly in place, there is an overarching theme of a network of Naxalites led by Jagmohan Kumar (played by Sunil Sinha), a pedantic PhD in Chemistry, trying to get Deepak out of jail. To achieve this, he devises a well-structured and systematic plan with the help of his companions and sets in motion a devious chain of events which later converges with the first story and what we get as viewers. It is an unpredictable concoction of betrayal, chaos. and innocence.
With Jehanabad – Of Love And War, Sudhir Mishra gets the momentum right – something that was clearly lacking in his last show Tense. There is a consistency between two universes running at coextensive tangents. Without doing injustice to either of them, the makers have given proper place to all the sub-plots and have not diluted the complexity of the narrative. They subtly maintain continuity that eventually leads to the big reveal. The unpredictability of the characters and situations inevitably comes as a fresh surprise when most web series these days have become redundant and generic. Another excellent aspect of Jehanabad is that while it addresses the politics of caste and introduces you to an accurate view of the Indian milieu at the grassroots level, it does not impose any ideology on you or has an inherent compassion. Claims nothing but a disturbing feeling. Narration style. The screenplay is clever and realistic and the dialogues add weight to it.
Jehanabad also offers its own massive music playlist that replicates songs from the 2004-2005 era, like the song Piya Basanti Re by Ustad Sultan Khan and KS Chitra. For example, O Piya which has flavors of raga Yaman, is rendered in a semi-bandish style. Kahin Kuch Tuta Hoga is a tear-jerker and has an old-school ambiance with minimal setup. Laal Salaam is a peppy track with uplifting qualities. Throw in Fall in Love and you get a sweet English love song in the style of modern blues. Then there are two marriage folk numbers enriched with cultural performances from Bihar. Aaj Siyaji Ke Ubtan Lagao which is beautifully picturized during the Haldi ceremony and Ghumdat Aawe has a familiar traditional Sumangali tune. Credit goes to Sujit Shetty and Sumant Das
Meanwhile, the performances of all the actors are top notch. There is an ease in Ritwik Bhowmik’s way of acting and he has certainly grown as an actor since his stint in Bandish Bandits. He played his part well, keeping pace with Harshita Gaur, who brought out the best in him. Their chemistry and on-screen love story is the best part of Jehanabad. Even with all the different chaotic plotlines that emerge with every episode, you’ll be rooting for them to win their love. It is organic and slowly develops into something to be cherished. Harshita Gaur plays a role that was tailor-made for her. While it may seem like she is expanding her Mirzapur character, there are more dimensions to her acting and her affable character.
Sonal Jha, Rajesh Jais and Sunil Sinha are another bunch of talented actors who make Jehanabad a great watch. His performance was as natural and free as one can imagine. Rajat Kapoor is naturally one of the best actors in the country, but despite the man he played, he played it with conviction, he didn’t quite fit in with the character that was assigned to him. Perhaps, we are more used to seeing him in more urban roles, but it was refreshing to see him try something new nonetheless. Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Deepak and Satyadeep Mishra as Durgesh Pratap Singh pack an impressive punch with their performances.
Lastly, Jehanabad – Of Love And War is a fast paced show. Barring a huge plot hole in one of its episodes that defies all logic and an ineffective and dull note on which the show ends, Sudhir Mishra’s direction and Rajeev Baranwal and Satyanshu Singh’s story are neatly packed And it has a unique story to tell. From actors to screenplay, music to direction, the show is absolutely perfect. And it tells a different kind of story that doesn’t heed to stereotypes.
Jehanabad – Of Love And War is now streaming on SonyLiv App.
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