‘The Revolutionaries’ Review: Thrilling in bits, but it’s too talky and has creaky moments

Emmay Entertainment has often been dubbed “The History Channel” because of all the wonderful historicals they have made in every format. From “Freedom at Midnight” to “Rocket Boys,” they have successfully proved they do it better than the rest. Their latest release, out on Prime Video, “The Revolutionaries” is based on the book “Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom” by Sanjeev Sanyal.

Unlike most series and films in the genre, “The Revolutionaries” views the freedom struggle from the lens of an action thriller. The history of India's struggle for freedom is usually told from the perspective of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Every Indian is familiar with their fight with the British empire. Nikkhil Advani’s series explores names such as Rash Behari Bose, Bagha Jatin, and  Sachindra Nath Sanyal, whose stories, unfortunately, were never quite seen as being part of the larger freedom struggle.

Advani’s “The Revolutionaries” attempts to fix that. The series captures the lives of young heroes through a compelling mix of drama, intrigue, and style. Starring Bhuvan Bam, Rohit Saraf, Gurfateh Pirzada, Pratibha Ranta and Neil Bhoopalam, it tackles  themes of honor, obsession, romance and courage. He daringly approaches the series like he would a big-screen epic with beefcakes flashing abs, songs ranging from romance to rage, and edge-of-the-seat action sequences on trains and planes.

The emotional quotient gets footage, too, whether it is the chemistry between Pratibha Ranta (as Pratibha Lahiri) and Rohit Saraf (as Sachindra Nath), the unspoken tension between the father-son, the helplessness of those sent off to war and the angst of those who arrived on Komagata Maru. The portrayal of the cruelty with which the British empire conducted its business is triggering. The series delivers a kind of chronicle that audiences haven't seen before in the genre. Advani was clearly the man for the job. His distinct artistic vision translates the narrative across a majestic backdrop of shadowed horizons and historic vistas. But ultimately that isn’t enough.

However, what drags on for eight episodes should ideally wrap in six. The first few episodes feel far too long. The burden of the length shifts the viewer’s attention from empathy to apathy. “The Revolutionaries” is thrilling in bits, but it’s too talky and has creaky moments. The series is an energizing slice of history, even if it doesn’t have sustained intensity. While it’s often entertaining, at no point does it enthral.

In a role that requires larger-than-life dimensions, Bhuvan Bam is pretty terrific (except for the embarrassing lip-syncing to songs). Although Pirzada does not get as much screen time, his smouldering demeanour is enough to count as a standout performance. The old-world romance between Saraf and Ranta is beautifully captured. Paoli Dam shines in a small part. She holds the screen with such grace and force you can’t look away. The vision is suitably propped by able teams: production design (Surabhi Verma), costume design (Sakshi Goel), art (Ankit Gupta, Rohit Nalawade, and Jainil Sachde) are top-notch. The BGM deserves special mention.

Finally, this is a story that needed to be told. It’s of importance as a reminder of the time it seeks to memorialize.