'The Waking of a Nation' review—Well-performed, but not engaging enough
07 Mar 2025

Ram Madhvani's The Waking of a Nation, streaming on SonyLIV, is led by Taaruk Raina.

The six-part series revisits the harrowing Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 and shows the protagonist's crusade to uncover the conspiracy behind the history-altering event.

Though it is ambitious and well-acted, it also seems all over the place, and the lack of more familiar, well-known faces also hurts it.

A lawyer and his fight against the British empire
Background

Raina plays a fictional lawyer named Kantilal Sahni, who is Westernized in his education and approach and helps create the draconian Rowlatt Act.

However, his conscience catches up to him when his friend Hari is killed ruthlessly in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Subsequently, he takes it upon himself to expose Colonel Dyer and the then Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer.

Liked 'Freedom at Midnight'? This show is for you
#1

SonyLIV's stamp is all over the series in terms of the production design, the setting, the subject, and the treatment of the story.

The Waking of a Nation will constantly remind you of Nikkhil Advani's Freedom at Midnight, which also explores India's freedom struggle, though it takes place years after the events of Madhvani's show.

History comes alive through its strong cinematography
#2

The Waking of a Nation doesn't have much difficulty in transporting us to the era gone by and regularly features monochrome sequences.

This helps augment the emotional quotient, and several scenes look like moments frozen in time.

I also liked the religious harmony shown—Kantilal and his three close friends belong to different religions but this is never a point of conflict.

Analyzes guilt and its impact on human psyche well
#3

The Waking of A Nation is an analysis of the massacre, the impact of colonialism, and how colonized nations can truly never heal from wounds as deep as these.

It's also a character study of a man consumed by indescribable guilt, so much so, that it weighs heavily on him every waking moment of the day, threatening to devour him alive.

Raina delivers a breakthrough performance
#4

The Waking.. should be a breakout role for Raina, who expertly dominates the show.

The dialogue-heavy series rests on his performance, particularly his monologues, and his scenes with his friends, especially in the second half of the show display his artistic strength.

He is ably supported by Nikita Dutta, who plays his friend Poonam and is given her own separate arc.

Negatives: It's extremely uneven and seems lost
#5

It's tough to root for The Waking of a Nation without reservations because it's unable to grip you consistently.

With a tighter screenplay and shorter episodes, the show had the potential to engage you and transfix you, but the writing squanders this potential.

Apart from Kantilal and his friends, we don't meet any other memorable character, and it always feels like something is amiss.

More on the above aspect
#6

At many junctures, the series moves in circles, without achieving anything, and becomes tedious and a chore to sit through.

A lot that can be "shown" is simply "told," Kantilal's long-winded speeches go on forever, and your attention begins to waver.

The show takes an awfully long time to come to the point, and it's tough to stay with it throughout.

You struggle to connect with the characters
#7

The series lacks a strong emotional core and you hardly ever feel anything for any character.

We see several people die on-screen, people suffer grave injustice, and unimaginable horrors come alive, but most characters' reactions are inauthentic and thus unbelievable.

The series meanders quite a bit, loses its way, finds itself, and then ventures into a zone of mediocrity again.

Certainly watchable, but could have been a lot better
Verdict

The Waking of a Nation has some ambitious ideas and is well-paced, but it's quite uneven, even becoming soporific in places.

Unlike Freedom at Midnight, The Waking of a Nation, unfortunately, doesn't boast a stacked ensemble cast that can lift the material when it creaks in places.

It's not unwatchable or sub-par, but needed more spunk and engrossing writing.

2.5/5 stars.