‘Maharani 2’ On Sony Liv Review: Huma Qureshi, Sohum Shah, Amit Sial’s Murky Political Battle Hooks You On

Cast & Crew

Show Creator: Subhash Kapoor
Director: Ravindra Gautam
Cast: Huma Qureshi, Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti, Pramod Pathak, Vineet Kumar, Kanan Arunachalam
Available On: Sony Liv
Duration: 10 Episodes, Around 1 Hour Each

Maharani 2 Story

A political drama set in Bihar in the 1990s. With its caste arithmetic, traditional satraps and the emerging voice…will an illiterate woman Rani Bharti (Huma Qureshi) survive this? Rani Bharti is a homemaker and the wife of Bihar’s chief minister Bheema Bharti (Sohum Shah). All she cares about is her house and her husband. She wants to pack her bags and go back to the village after her husband resigns from the post of Bihar’s CM. But her life takes a turn when her husband and Bihar’s CM, is made to announce the name of his successor. While his party members look excited to hear who has been anointed, he makes Rani Bharti his successor, surprising everyone. Things turn sideways for Bheema Bharti when Rani Bharti actually starts running the administration quite well and even takes measures to kill corruption in the state. However, this leads her straight to the root cause of the corruption – her husband, Bheema Bharti. She doesn’t flinch and puts him behind bars as well. What will Bheema Bharti do now? Will he take revenge on his own wife? Will he get her killer? Will she be able to win the elections against her own husband? Well, you’ll have to watch the show to find out.

Maharani 2: Noteworthy Performances

Amit Sial is the standout performer of the show without a doubt. While his character is still the same, but the way he has brought out the genuineness of the character is very different. While in the first season, you’re constantly feeling that he is the prime villain, whereas in this season you’re sort of sympathetic towards him, and yet you constantly know that he isn’t showing all his cards. That mystery behind his character is what makes him have the lion’s share of the praises for the show.

Sohum Shah is not the same subservient and hapless ex-CM of Bihar anymore as he was in the first season. He is bold, he is ruthless and he is ready to pounce with his nails drawn out at every given opportunity. He shows the real shades of how a politician behaves, and how sharply their brain works when it comes to getting back into power. With a grown beard and a cunning smile throughout, Shah manages to bring life to a real political battle.

Huma Qureshi is indeed good, but she was better in the first season. Honestly, that’s not a bad thing, because the entirety of the first season rested on her character. Whereas this time over, the show focuses more on the political intricacies and not tried to show one character above all. However, just like in season 1, Qureshi’s soliloquy inside the Vidhan Sabha is once again a highlight of the entire season.

Among the supporting cast, Kani Kusruti and Dibyendu Bhattacharya stand out. The nuances that Kusruti brings to the character make her a treat to watch. Bhattacharya has played a character that has a perfect balance of being outlandish and yet very poignant. Despite the lesser screen time, both of them have managed to create an impact that stays on even after the show gets over.

Maharani 2: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

The writing of ‘Maharani 2’ is its strongest aspect. The season rides heavily on intricate political twists and turns. Every move is well thought out and planned well in advance. Similarly, the writers have also ensured that the writing is equally engaging and hooks you on till the very end.

Ravindra Gautam’s direction brings the show its necessary look and feel to make everything believable. He has ensured that he touched upon every aspect that a political party can think of. Whether it’s the lower caste angle or the religious angle or the greed of having a separate state, Gautam has shown all the cards that a political party can think of and bring to play in order to win an election.

Cinematography indeed is terrific considering they’ve managed to shoot the entirety in real-life locations. Thus, giving the viewers a taste of what the ground reality looks like before and during an election.

The editing sadly could have been a bit crisper. A few scenes here and there could have been snipped so that not every episode is around an hour long. That too when you’ve 10 episodes to stretch it.

Maharani 2: Can Kids Watch It

Yes

Outlook's Verdict

Huma Qureshi and Sohum Shah’s family feud turns into Bihar’s state politics. While the first season dealt more on proving Qureshi’s character above all, the second season has managed to show more of the political aspects. The political fight between Qureshi, Shah and Sial is definitely laden with unexpected twists all over. This time over, the show doesn’t rely entirely on Qureshi’s shoulders and it feels more like a thrilling political drama. It’s indeed a Must Watch. I am going with 4 stars.