If you have seen any Indian web series lately, the only way a series seems to be great is by including a lot of cuss language and intimate scenes. But Naxalbari by Zee5 has come to break that notion. Naxalbari is a crime thriller series directed by Partho Mitra and starring Rajeev Khandelwal, Satyadeep Misra, Aamir Ali, Shakti Anand, Sreejita De and Tina Dutta.
As the name suggests, Naxalbari is a story that revolves around curtailing a red mission. If you have watched the trailer you might not have expected more from it than a typical action film like Uri: The Surgical Strike but it has much more than that to it.
The series stars some of the most famous people from the TV Industry and the story is not just about the history of Naxals and the Naxal movement in India but it is seen through the eyes of an STF agent.
While we don’t really have much content on the Naxals, I think it would be safe to say that Naxalbari is one of the best shows that the Indian platform has produced on the matter. Naxalbari revolves around STF agent Raghav Joshi who decides to go on a secret mission to stop the uprising of a Naxal uprising in the Gadchiroli area of Maharashtra.
The main story begins when an attack takes place on the Maharashtra MLA when he enters the area of the Naxals. This motivates all the other actions that take place further in the series. The police immediately get active and start investigating the attack. Later, it’s evident that this was to stop a politician from buying off their land.
All the elements, whether it is action or love, have been used in the right amount to make the series interesting. It offers a fresh perspective into the insurgency about which we have heard for years but never got to know it through the eyes of an agent.
The investigation team enters into the dark side and get to know that the Naxal armed revolution is not only limited to the jungles, it has spread its tentacles into the bigger cities now. What we witness is some heart-melting scenes with some sharp and hard dialogues. To maintain its originality, a multitude of languages are used which gives it a realistic effect.
Naxalbari‘s realism is what makes it a good watch. Partho Mitra’s direction deserves recognition, as well as Aejaz Gulab’s action direction, which brings a lot of realism to the table. All the actors have done a brilliant job but Rajeev Khandelwal delivers his best and gives us someone to follow in this madness. His transformation from a city brat into a dutiful agent is a must-watch. Actor Amar Ali also deserves praise with an interesting role and good performance.
Although the story is set up in Maharashtra, it gets its name from West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. The plot keeps you on the edge and has a fair share of twists and turns. So, if you are a fan of historical or non-fiction-based stories then this one is for you. It has all the elements to keep you at the edge of your seat.
Naxalbari is streaming on Zee5.
Read our other reviews here.