PremiumThe Waking of a Nation review: Ram Madhvani's historical drama struggles to stay awake despite Taaruk Raina’s sincere performance
The Waking of a Nation explores the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre through a courtroom drama but falters with repetitive flashbacks. Taaruk Raina shines, yet the series struggles to stay engaging.
Last Updated: 12.18 AM, Mar 07, 2025
The Waking of a Nation story:
Set in the midst of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, The Waking of a Nation is an engrossing series. Taaruk Raina plays the role of lawyer Kantilal Sahni, who becomes entangled in a web of colonial treachery. Kantilal faces issues of racism, erasure, and the struggle for truth while the Hunter commission manipulates history to benefit the ruling empire. In spite of their ideological differences, Kantilal and his buddies Hari Singh Aulakh (Bhawsheel Singh), Ali Allahbaksh (Sahil Mehta), and Poonam (Nikita Dutta), who are all bound together by an unbreakable childhood connection, manage to uncover a plot that changes their destiny. Will they reveal or become engulfed by the concealed realities in a society where fairness is an illusion?
The Waking of a Nation review:
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is one of the most unforgettable events in Indian history, and it has made its way into popular culture in every possible way. In every film based on the life of Bhagat Singh, we have seen this event as the beginning of making the young mind rebel against British rule and get hanged to death at the mere age of 23. On the other hand, we saw Shoojit Sircar showing the man Sardar Udham Singh assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of the Punjab in India, who was responsible for the massacre. Now, Ram Madhvani has brought a new angle to this chapter by bringing a courtroom drama based on the infamous Hunter Commission.
The leading character in the series, The Waking of a Nation, is named Kantilal Sahni, who is loosely based on Sir Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad. He was the one who cross-examined General Dyer during the trial. On its surface, the series preaches about the complexities of the colonial rule based on the racism and discrimination based on religion that has been happening in the country for over two centuries now.
The six-episode series story revolves around the bond between the four protagonists, who are a Hindu, a Muslim, and a Sikh, and who together reflect the religious diversity of India. Sahni is the London-return barrister who, in his suited look, does believe that colonial rule is wrong but still is supportive of the Britishers for bringing development to the country. On the other hand, Hari Singh Aulakh (Bhawsheel Singh) and his wife, Poonam (Nikita Dutta), have a certain diplomatic approach and believe in a non-violent way of helping India attain freedom against British rule. Then there is Ali Allahbaksh (Sahil Mehta), the editor of a newspaper, Inquilaab, who seeks an extremist approach even though his words show the British their place and that it's out of India wholly.
The four make for a perfect group of pals who have different ideologies but still never forget their unshakeable bond, which they have created from a tender age.
If you see the overall show, it definitely covers important topics that are relevant in today's times. The series demonstrates that the British would only succeed in gaining control over India through division and rule, a trend that continues to this day. Moreover, "The Waking of a Nation" also talks about white supremacy, which the British have shown throughout their rule and how they believe that Indians, whose homeland they are in, only deserve to be treated badly based on their colour.
There are several moments in the series, especially in the last episode, where Raina's character talks about these topics, which are openly discussed even now; if you want, you can check out X (formerly Twitter).
Anyway, what's more important in a series that shows India's history is engagement and the treatment required to get there. Despite Madhvani's decision to extend the series to six episodes, it appeared that he ran out of content midway through. Thus, what happened? We just got multiple flashbacks of the same scenes in probably a couple of episodes. The show delves so much into the past, even visually, that it becomes the backbone of even showing the present-day sequences to support it.
The repetition happens so frequently that it just stops becoming uninteresting after a certain point in time. In the hope of a gripping series, The Waking of a Nation falters miserably to gauge attention even for an important sequence showcasing the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. The only film that depicts the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre most hauntingly is Sardar Udham, and surpassing it is a challenging task.
The sequences are supposed to give goosebumps or even have tear-jerking moments, but here, none of it takes place and it just doesn't support the narrative in any way.
Taaruk Raina delivers a sincere performance as Kantilal Sahni, balancing his character’s internal conflict well. The actor manages to hold the screen and after being a part of several lighter genres, this definitely is a new ball game altogether. However, the actor deserves recognition for his full efforts. On the other hand, Bhawsheel Singh, Sahil Mehta, and Nikita Dutta provide solid support, though their arcs feel underdeveloped.
The production value and musical drama, which would have worked better in the background, are also understated. Yes, Raina himself is a singer and it's his vocals lent in every song played. The actor even lip-syncs to every song; well, he has been shown as a singer as well. It does its job of not making his character one-dimensional. However, it takes away the intended impact it deserves when it just fails to engage throughout the show.
Known for its precision in past works, Madhvani's direction feels stretched here. His signature tension-building and immersive storytelling are missing here, replaced by redundant flashbacks and drawn-out courtroom sequences that add little to the drama. The series had the potential to be a compelling legal-political thriller, but Madhvani’s execution feels surprisingly lacklustre—as if he ran out of material midway and resorted to filler content.
The Waking of a Nation does try hard to keep the history "awake" in the impactful way it needed to be and, lacking a better explanation, even the viewers.
The Waking of a Nation verdict:
The Waking of a Nation aims to stir the soul but often sleepwalks through its own narrative. While Taaruk Raina shines as Kantilal Sahni, the series struggles to balance history with engagement, getting trapped in a cycle of redundant flashbacks.