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'The Revolutionaries' Review, Nikkhil Advani's Vision Has Scale And Performances, But It Lacks Soul
'The Revolutionaries' is a new show on Prime Video, created by Nikkhil Advani. The series features Pratibha Ranta, Rohit Saraf, and many others in the lead roles.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleThe Revolutionaries on Prime Video tries to bring a forgotten chapter of India's freedom struggle to the forefront. Created by Nikkhil Advani and based on Sanjeev Sanyal's book, the series follows Rash Behari Bose, Sachindranath Sanyal, Bagha Jatin, and Pratibha Lahiri as they build a secret network for the Ghadar movement.
Mounted on a grand scale, with rich visuals, the show has ambition and strong performances, but struggles to balance spectacle with soul and ideology that deserve much deeper exploration.
Impressive scale, but the soul remains distant
Adapted from Sanjeev Sanyal's book Revolutionaries: The Other Story Of How India Won Its Freedom and created by Nikkhil Advani, the series tries to tell a lesser-told chapter of the freedom movement. The focus is on the Ghadar movement and the secret network of young men and women who planned an armed revolt against the British in the early nineteen tens.
The central figures are 'Rash Behari Bose' played by Bhuvan Bam; 'Sachindranath Sanyal' played by Rohit Saraf; 'Bagha Jatin' played by Gurfateh Pirzada; and 'Pratibha Lahiri' played by Pratibha Ranta.
The story moves across Delhi, Lahore, Calcutta, Dehradun, and Benaras as these revolutionaries try to unite soldiers and organise a mutiny. On paper, the ambition is impressive. The production design is lavish, with large mansions, colonial offices, and period streets. The cinematography by Gairik Sarkar gives the show a rich and glossy look. There are slow-motion walks, weapon thefts at docks, and references to historic events like the Komagata Maru incident.
Advani clearly wants to give history a cinematic and mainstream treatment. The problem starts when this desire for scale takes over the human story. Even after eight episodes, the characters feel distant. We see what they do, but we rarely understand what they think or believe.
The timeline jumps without clear markers, and new characters enter late without proper build-up. The narrative is crowded with chase sequences, near-capture moments, romantic tracks, and song numbers that break the tension.
The central idea of rebellion and what it means to risk everything for freedom gets lost under the need to make every scene look big. The show tells us that a heist plan is the most dangerous, but it never makes us feel the weight behind those claims. What should have been an intimate story of sacrifice becomes a parade of events where spectacle replaces soul.
Performances shine in parts, but ideology stays unexplored
Among the cast, Pratibha Ranta leaves the strongest impression. As 'Pratibha Lahiri,' she brings courage and fire to a young woman who steps out of societal limits to join a secret movement. Her scenes with Rohit Saraf have warmth, and her determination feels real.
Paoli Dam as 'Pishima,' based on Nanibala Devi, is exceptional and gives emotional depth to a character who represents countless women whose role in the revolution was ignored by history. Rohit Saraf as 'Sachindranath Sanyal' plays his part with sincerity and brings a quiet intensity to a man who is both a thinker and a fighter.
Bhuvan Bam as 'Rash Behari Bose' shows clear effort, and he is convincing in the action-heavy moments, but the writing does not give him enough interior life. Bose is shown as a leader who plans escapes and changes disguises, but his ideology, his doubts, and his personal cost remain underexplored. Gurfateh Pirzada as 'Bagha Jatin' has presence but limited scope. Jason Shah as 'Reginald Dyer' gets a complex part, and he plays the menace well, though at times the character is reduced to a standard villain.
The bigger issue is not acting but writing. These revolutionaries read political theory, debated nationalism, and had different visions for a free India. Lala Har Dayal and others brought socialist ideas, while others leaned towards different schools of thought. The series touches upon these tensions but never stays with them. It prefers speeches over real debate and spectacle over the claustrophobia that an underground movement should have.
Unlike films like Sardar Udham or Chittagong, which made danger feel close and personal, this show often watches history from a distance. There is so much material that a tighter structure would have helped. What remains powerful is the intent. The show reminds viewers that freedom was not won by a few familiar names alone but by a large network of brave and forgotten men and women.
Have you watched all the episodes of The Revolutionaries on Prime Video? Let us know.
PC: Prime Video India/YouTube
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