Directed - Ram Madhvani
Writer – Ram Madhvani, Shatrujeet Nath, Shantanu Srivastava
Cast – Taaruk Raina, Sahil Mehta, Bhawsheel Singh Sahni, Nikita Dutta, Carl Wharton, Nikhil, Ranjit Singh, Ed Robinson, Diggaj Khatri
Platform – SonyLIV
Episode – 6 
 
The Waking of a Nation takes a deep dive into one of India’s most tragic and pivotal moments in history—the Jallianwala Bagh massacre—and attempts to bring a courtroom drama to the heart of it. At its core, it’s an exploration of betrayal, resistance, and the fight for justice in the shadows of colonial rule. Unfortunately, the series struggles to live up to the emotional weight of its subject matter, leaving viewers a little too comfortable in the historical trenches without the tension needed to truly stir the soul.
 
The series follows Kantilal Sahni, a London-returned barrister played by Taaruk Raina, as he navigates the murky waters of the colonial system, attempting to uncover the truth behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Along with his childhood friends—Hari Singh Aulakh (Bhawsheel Singh), Ali Allahbaksh (Sahil Mehta), and Poonam (Nikita Dutta)—Kantilal is caught between ideological extremes, trying to find a middle ground in a society where fairness is a distant dream.
 
Now, this should’ve been a gripping thriller with each episode stacking tension upon tension, right? Wrong. The Waking of a Nation spends far too much time in flashbacks and unnecessary repetition. It’s like the show keeps hitting the rewind button, giving us the same bits of history over and over, just to remind us that it’s about the colonial oppression, the violence, and the racial divide. Problem is, it just makes things drag. Fast-forward to the climax, and you’ll find yourself yawning instead of gasping for air during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre sequence. The narrative simply lacks the punch that this crucial historical moment needs to truly hit home.
 
Kantilal Sahni is a lawyer caught in a moral crossfire, and Taaruk Raina does his best to carry the weight of the character’s inner turmoil. He’s earnest, his performance sincere, but it’s hard to feel the full extent of his struggle when the writing doesn’t give him enough to work with. The supporting characters—Hari, Ali, and Poonam—bring in various perspectives: the idealistic Hindu, the pacifist Sikh, and the fiery Muslim, but their arcs often feel glossed over. Sure, the chemistry between the childhood friends is solid, but their respective ideological debates feel like they get lost in the shuffle of the endless flashbacks.
 
Bhawsheel Singh and Sahil Mehta do solid work with what they have, but their characters never quite hit the mark, often slipping into caricatured ideological positions without much development. And Nikita Dutta as Poonam shines in moments but isn’t given enough room to fully explore her character.
 
The series certainly attempts to tackle big, relevant issues—racism, colonial exploitation, and the erasure of history by the ruling class. It touches on how the British used divide and rule tactics, and how they upheld white supremacy. But while these ideas are timely and important, the way the show presents them comes off as clumsy. At times, the dialogue feels a little too on-the-nose, almost like a history textbook turned into an overly dramatic soap opera.
 
In fact, when the character of Kantilal talks about the racial discrimination and exploitation by the British in several episodes, it’s hard not to think, "We get it, we get it..." It's a shame because the issues explored here are critical, but the execution feels heavy-handed, more preachy than powerful.
 
Ram Madhvani, known for his earlier works like Dhamaka, is usually a master of building tension and creating immersive experiences. But here? Not so much. The direction lacks the sharpness and urgency you’d expect from a story about such a monumental event. The courtroom sequences drag on, and the endless flashbacks feel like filler material. What should have been an intense legal-political thriller instead turns into a slow march through historical rehashes, stripping the story of the fire it needs.
 
Even the production values—while not disastrous—fail to evoke the emotional weight of the subject matter. The understated musical elements, though well-intentioned, seem more like a distraction than a necessary backdrop. Yes, Raina’s character is a singer, but this musical inclusion feels more forced than engaging.
 
The Waking of a Nation had all the ingredients to be a stirring, gripping look at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and its aftermath, and yet it falters under its own weight. Taaruk Raina shines, but even his performance isn’t enough to save the series from its repetitive pacing and lackluster direction. Madhvani’s vision, usually so precise, feels diluted here, leaving a trail of missed opportunities and a lot of unnecessary filler.
 
If you’re looking for a profound historical drama that pulls no punches, you’re better off watching Sardar Udham or exploring other portrayals of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The Waking of a Nation certainly tries to wake us up, but it does so with a yawn, not a jolt.