Jubilee, the Prime Video series starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Aparshakti Khurrana, takes you to the crux of partitioning the subcontinent back in 1947. Jubilee fosters an inkling of the infamous ‘Bombay Talkies’ studio and giant personalities like Ashok Kumar, Himanshu Rai, and Devika Rani. The series doodles (fictionally) on an array of untouched facets of ‘Bollywood’ but with drama, crime, manipulation, and sabotage.
Jubilee comes in five episodes enveloping within 60 minutes each. The musical treatments looked meticulous and crisp. The perfect dive through the musical elements from the 30s and 40s gives a swing of momentum. The setting seems convincing with the vintage cars, the costumes, and the makeup. The camera work hooks you, followed by layered storytelling. The layers are chronological.
Prosenjit Chatterjee gleams as Srikant Roy. His charisma and stardom reflect as he plays Srikant, resonating with the life of Himanshu Rai, who carried on a mission to make a difference with ‘cinema’ in India. Srikant is upright, manipulative and dedicated to Roy Talkies. He can choose his studio and cinema any day, leaving everything at stake. The shrewdness on his face, with stiff jawlines and sharp eye contact, leave an unfading perplexity in the viewers’ minds. Srikant bombards with his idea of making Binod the star ‘Madan,’ eventually sculpts a hit at the box office with Sunghursh.
Aparkshakti Khurrana plays Binod Das, who later becomes the star, ‘Madan Kumar.’ Binod Das is an outcast, untoward and an ugly duckling. Fair to say a square peg in a round hole. He is the loyal ‘servant’ of Roy Talkies. He is occupied with mastering the art of films. As he was intrigued about almost everything, Binod worked as an assistant in almost every field, including sound, annotating, music, and cinematic techniques. However, his character comes in layers after Srikant sends him to get back Jamshed Khan, who apparently was the first pick in the Roy Talkies to become Madan’ and his wife Sumitra, who was planning to elope with Jamshed. Aparkshakti manifests a cunning impression as the episodes elevate.
Aditi Rao Hydari comes in as Sumitra Kumari, apparently, the first lady of Indian cinema, resembling the life of ‘Devika Rani’ Himanshu Rai’s wife. Aditi, as Sumitra, chains the audience on an emotional connection. Sumitra is the star of Roy Talkies, and she reigns with super hits at the box office. But Sumitra is the vulnerable rebel. She is a sparkplug in the man’s world, but she fully embodies her femininity.
A toast of galactic drama, jitters and the agog all come in a complete package when we witness Vikramaditya Motwane’s creations. Just like he did with Sacred Games, Trapped, and Udaan back in the years. However, with ‘Jubilee’ along with Soumik Sen and Atul Sabharwal, we can say he pelted a cinematic dynamic on how a period-drama that dominates on a ‘Bollywoodish’ narrative could be on tenterhooks for the audience.
The masking and the unmasking of the characters give the entire series a string to hold back. But, while there are certain disenchants in the progress of the series, the tight screenplay and the direction saves it even from the eagle’s eyes. But to build a sustaining series on a resonating period drama that outlines Bollywood would be a classic call for binge-watch.
What are you waiting for? Get your laptop and bowl of popcorn ready and watch the series exclusively on Prime Video.
IWMBuzz rates it 4 stars.