Jubilee Series Review: Takes the Viewer Into The Golden Period Of Hindi Cinema
Cast: Aparshakti Khurana, Prasenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sidhant, Ram Kapoor, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Shweta Basu Prasad
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
In the web series Jubilee, you see the film industry of the 1950s and that old era. Director Vikramaditya Motwane has composed this thriller with great patience, in which an aspiring actor makes his way in adverse circumstances. But there is also such a secret, which can bring him from the sky to the ground. If you want to see glimpses of the history of the Hindi film industry in the 1950s, then Jubilee is for you. Those years around the independence of the country were of studio culture in films. In which the actor-director-writer used to work in the studio by taking a salary. Independent producers were not in the fray. The studios used to make and kill stars. The web series has been released on Amazon Prime Video, Jubilee. Jubilee is now a lost word from Hindi cinema. Until three-four decades ago, when a film ran for 25, 50, 75, or 100 weeks in theatres, it was respected by terms like Silver Jubilee, Golden Jubilee, Diamond Jubilee, and Platinum Jubilee. There were parties. Now it is rare if a film stays in theaters for two months. This web series by director Vikramaditya Motwane celebrates that old era of Hindi cinema.
This mixed time of Indian cinema is going on. On the one hand, South cinema is at its peak, on the other hand, Hindi cinema is struggling for its existence. South cinema has pulled a new line after Telugu cinema’s renowned director SS Rajamouli’s film ‘RRR’ got the Oscar Award. It is not only difficult for Bollywood to cross it, but it seems impossible. But Hindi cinema also had a phase. At that time more than one classical cinema was produced. Even though the stardom of the superstars of that time was in the sky, the filmmakers were considered their birth givers. In the true sense, only the owners of the production house used to run. One such production house was the owner of Bombay Talkies Studio, Devika Rani, who is considered to be the first female star of Hindi cinema. Bombay Talkies gave birth to many superstars, among whom the names of Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, and Kishore Kumar are prominent. That time was the golden period of Hindi cinema. But that period had also seen tragedy after the partition between India and Pakistan. A web series Jubilee covering the story of the same era is being streamed on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video. This web series is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.
Jubilee Series Review: The Story Plot
The story begins on 13 July 1947. About a month before the date of independence. Roy Studios, the biggest film production company in the industry, is debt-ridden. The company needs to create such a superstar, Madan Kumar, for whom the public’s craze can pile up wealth. After the audition, the search for the owner of the company Shrikant Roy (Prosenjit Chatterjee) ends with Jamshed Khan (Nandish Sandhu). News is published in the newspaper that a new star Madan Kumar (Nandish) will be launched in the studio’s next film Sangharsh. Elsewhere, Jamshed Khan is planning to elope to Karachi with Sumitra Kumar (Aditi Rao Hydari), Srikanth’s wife and half-owner of the studio in Lucknow. Sumitra is a superstar herself, but Srikanth’s infidelity and obsession with other women have turned Sumitra into a rebel.
Srikanth has no objection to Jamshed Khan and Sumitra’s love affair, as both of them depend on the future of his film Sangharsh and the studio. Jamshed is a theater actor and films are not his priority. Srikanth wants to launch the film as soon as possible by making Jamshed as Madan Kumar. He sends his trusted studio worker Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana) to call Jamshed and Sumitra. Binod, posing as a fan named Sundar, meets Jamshed and tries to convince him to do the film. Meanwhile, riots start in Lucknow, and Jamshed is killed in them. Binod could have saved him but holds back as he harbors a burning desire to become Madan Kumar himself. The death of Madan Kumar was a big blow to Roy.
He comes to know about Binod’s work, but after a dramatic turn of events, seeing Binod’s dialogue delivery, he decides to launch him as Madan Kumar. Financier Shamsher Walia (Ram Kapoor) strongly opposes this, but Roy does not listen to anyone. Madan is launched with Sumitra Kumari. The film becomes a superhit and Binod shifts from the staff quarters to the star quarters earning a salary of Rs.500 a month, becoming Madan Kumar, a superstar. A major character in this story is Jai Khanna (Siddhant Gupta), who is Jamshed’s friend. Her father Narayan Khanna (Arun Govil) is the owner of a famous theater company in Karachi. Jamshed is about to leave films and join this theater company.
On the other hand, after partition, Jai’s family takes shelter in a refugee camp in Mumbai’s Sion area. While struggling to make a living, Jai wants to make a film based on his script. After a series of events, he convinces Madan Kumar, who is already known to him, to act in the film. With the arrival of Madan Kumar, financier Walia also agrees to invest money. Nilufar Qureshi, a courtesan who has reached Mumbai from Lucknow, is selected as the heroine of the film, whom Jai has met in Lucknow. But here comes a big twist and on the advice of Shrikant Roy, Madan Kumar pulls out of Jai’s film on the exact day of Muhurta. Jai is stunned. He doesn’t understand what to do now. If the film is not made, it will end. This is the interval point of the Jubilee web series.
Jubilee Series Review and Analysis
Jubilee‘s style is a thriller. The complexity of Srikant Roy and Sumitra Devi’s relationship and Binod Kumar’s tricks propel the story forward. New characters are added to it. Film financier Shamsher Singh Walia (Ram Kapoor), prostitute Neelofar (Vamika Gabbi), young director Jai Khanna (Siddhant Gupta) facing the tragedy of Partition and Jamshed Khan’s make-up man Maqsood (Narottam) who knows the secret of Binod Das. Ben). All these characters give momentum to the story of Jubilee. As the story progresses, these characters blossom. Their stories keep getting interesting. But the most attractive thing is that Aparshakti Khurana gets into his character. His hard work shines differently here. Jubilee also shows the efforts of America (USA) and Russia (Russia) to occupy the Indian film industry after the partition of the country.
Amazon Prime has currently released the first five episodes of the series and has done the interval. The next five episodes will be released on 14 April. If you want to watch all the episodes in one go, then wait. The first five episodes tell that there is love and deceit in Jubilee. Friendship and promise are opposites. There is hope and there is also despair. The characters have been created well. There is tightness in the script. But the pace is slow in some places. Especially the refugee camp part gets separated from the main story. Vikramaditya Motwane has created the series with great patience and the viewer will also have to be patient to enjoy it.
Vikramaditya manages to transport you to the 1950s. Writing and camerawork are good. The set design is great. The period clothing and fashions are replete with details. This series should be seen to experience the film world differently from today’s Bollywood. where people were comfortable. Were like ordinary humans. What turn will the story take after the interval will be known next Friday? Dividing the same series into two parts is the disappointing side of Jubilee. This thing can inspire many people to leave the series in the middle.
Jubilee‘s screenplay is written by Atul Sabharwal and based on a story by director Vikramaditya Motwane and creator Soumik Sen. Through the screenplay, every effort has been made to bring alive the 40-the 50s in the scenes. Each scene transports the viewer to the same era through its various elements. In this, the hard work of the department from costume to production design is commendable. The architecture around the buildings, private and public vehicles, and roads correspond to that period. The evolutionary journey of filmmaking is beautifully threaded in the visuals. One of the memorable scenes of the series is how playback singing started in films, as shown by Srikanta Roy and Binod Das. Or the visuals of Hindi film songs being banned on All India Radio and reaching Radio Ceylon are amazing. The effects of countries’ politics on the industry are also included in these scenes.
The writing and delivery of dialogues are the highlights of the series. The language of that period, the colloquial words used, and the speaking style of the artists do not allow the Jubilee scenes to go out of time. For a few years after independence, the Hindustani language was prevalent, which is visible in the series. In the dialogue delivery of the artists, special care has been taken to maintain that tone in their speaking. For this, director Vikramaditya Motwane’s careful direction has to be appreciated. Jubilee primarily follows the story of five characters Srikant Roy, Madan Kumar aka Binod Das, Jai Khanna, Sumitra Kumari and Nilufar Qureshi. Through these characters, Atul has shown the journey in the golden era of the film industry.
Other supporting characters help advance the main plot or add to the thrill through conflict. These include Binod Das’s wife Ratna Das (Shweta Basu Prasad), Shamsher Walia, Jai’s girlfriend in the refugee camp Kiran Singh Sethi (Sukhmani Lamba), and music label owner Nanik Jotwani (Arya Bhatt). Atul has created all these characters very well and has given a lot of time in the screenplay, due to which all of them are seen contributing to the story. Prosenjit portrays the image of an elite, rich, headstrong, and business-minded film visionary in the character of suit-booted Shrikant Rai, cigar pressed to his lips. He makes films, but on his own terms. Aparshakti Khurana has brought to life the layered character of Binod Das, a confidant and secretive of the owner but an expert in grabbing the opportunity.
Aditi Rao Hydari as the 40s diva Sumitra is the perfect combination of beauty and brains. The character successfully portrays the successful and independent actress of that era. But the character who impresses the most is Jai Khanna. This character also has many layers, which have been presented by Siddhant Gupta. The struggle and journey of this character leave an impact. The struggle of the refugee camp after partition, the spirit of giving flight to their dreams while doing small jobs reminds us of such artists of that era, who leave everything and start life from zero in Mumbai. Vamika’s character Nilufer depicts the struggles and compromises of women in the film industry. Vamika has lived this character with full intensity.
The character of Jamshed Khan has also commented on the practice of Muslim artists having Hindu names. Nandish Sandhu’s screen presence in this character is less, but wherever he has appeared, he has stolen the show with his dialogue delivery. Amit Trivedi’s music keeps the golden era in rhythm. The writing and music of the songs bring back memories of the 40-the 50s. The song Babuji Bhole Bhale picturized on Vamika is catchy and reminds one of Babuji Dheere Chalna. The color scheme of the entire series has been kept in sepia tones, to retain the presence of the golden era with the old film effect.
Jubilee Series Review: The Last Words
Jubilee takes the viewer into the golden period of Hindi cinema. Yes, due to the excess of some sub-plots tied with the mainstream of the story, the series seems confusing in some places, but the performances of the actors and the scenes cover all the shortcomings. If Jubilee is called the best series released this year, then it will not be an exaggeration. From the story, screenplay, dialogues, acting, direction, cinematography, editing, and background score, it has become a great web series at every level. If you want to watch a good series, then definitely watch Jubilee.
