What Is the Story About?
Performances?
Performances?Analysis
At the outset, it must be said that ZEE5, with Naxalbari, has ventured into a subject seldom attempted in the Indian content space – not by filmdom, and certainly not by the vacuous TV space. The naxalite movement is a burning, blazing, utterly vexing issue in our country. Which makes it all the more surprising why no one — none of the biggie filmmakers, and not one of the celebrated art house directors — has stepped in to capture on celluloid the minefield that is the Naxal movement in the country. It is commendable on ZEE5’s part to bravely go where no production house, let alone OTT platform, has gone before.
That said, Naxalbari is a crisp tale based on the Naxalite movement, taking into account diverse aspects of its whys and wherefores. Right from the first episode itself, the writers and director dive into the thick of the action, taking us headlong into the precarious world of maoists/Naxals. Characters are established swiftly, without wasting precious time on world building and character development. The rushed style does not take away anything from the narrative. Instead, it bestows a sense of urgency to the story.
Gradually, yet firmly, the story unravels the cipher, and plunges us into the true depths of what Naxalism really entails. It brings us face to face with the unholy nexus between power-hungry politicians, greedy corporates, the vulture-esque media, the unscrupulous police, nefarious religious organisations, and more. Caught in the crossfire are the poor tribals from the mineral and natural resources rich Central India. Slowly, Naxalbari makes us begin to realise the extent of the depravity that has led the poor tribal to take up arms. The penultimate episode of the series says as much, in crystal clear words – how those with power have grabbed the mineral-rich land of poor tribals, forest dwellers and small farmers, depriving them of their only sources of livelihood, and hence, a life of dignity. It lays bare the vicious circle – these poor unemployed villagers migrate to cities, leading to more slum-mongering, more poverty and worsening class divides.
Outwardly, Naxalbari boasts a lot of good things. The fast pace and crisp storytelling is a distinct advantage. It has a well-written, well-defined plot. The story is engaging and compels you to keep on watching.
Yet, there’s a downside to the narrative. While it delves into the naxalite movement, telling us why a bunch of poor farmers took the route of violence and rebellion to fight for their rights and for what is theirs, it fails to show how greedy, vested interests ply the poor tribals with finance, sophisticated arms and infrastructure, with only one aim – to create havoc, disharmony and chaos at the fundamental level, only for the sake of votebank politics, and ultimately, power. It is a point that should have been addressed in the plot, but isn’t.
A commendable thing about Naxalbari is that it tells its story without taking sides. Viewers are free to form their own judgement and opinion on the vexing issue. The story also touches upon the rising sympathy for the Naxals among the country’s elite, urbanised, intellectual crowd through tiny though factual instances – such as the discovery of naxalite literature in the homes of Naxal sympathisers. Most of these sympathisers are shown to be college professors, artists, creative professionals – a stunning mirroring of real life and current events.
Yet, while Naxalbari piles on the facts as the story takes shape, it miserably fails in one, extremely crucial area – making the narrative hard-hitting and impactful. The narrative lacks that certain something that hooks the viewer to the story, leaves a deafening impact, makes the viewer recoil in horror, disgust or even sympathy. Even the now-forgotten Newton, a barely 2-hour Rajkummar Rao film, had managed to create an impact, even though it had skimmed just the surface of the naxalite situation. And it had done so without resorting to too much violence, gore or expletives-laden language.
The penultimate episode attempts to put things into motion in that direction – a crucial character’s monologue in that episode makes you think and ponder; just a bit. But, and that is a big ‘but’ — it fails to move you, affect you, perturb you emotionally, or even, adequately. Which is a big failing for a show that has ventured to tackle a subject of this gravitas and magnitude.
We sincerely hope that the writers and director up their game in season 2, if there is one, to tell a story that leaves a lasting impact on whoever happens to watch it. God knows that the subject deserves it.
Music and Other Departments?
Music and Other Departments?Ravi Singhal’s title track – Thok Ke Badla – is catchy and invigorating. It sets the right tone for the narrative. Paresh Shah’s original background score is likewise – hitting the right notes at just the right places.
The editing, by Kshitija Khandagale, is blemishless. Hari Nair and Modhura Palit’s camerawork is good, capturing the essence of the narrative, finely and deftly.
Naxalbari boasts an action director — Aejaz Gulab does the honours. Yet, there’s nothing about the action in the series that can be called outstanding. It is quite average, to be honest.
Highlights?
Short, crisp episodes
Fast pace, no lagging around for this show
Tackles a unique, distinctive subject, with a well-written plot
Drawbacks?
Not hard-hitting or impactful enough
Misses chronicling crucial elements of the naxalite situation
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, somewhat
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, as a one-time watch
Naxalbari ZEE5 Series Review by Binged Bureau
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