Maharani season 2 review: SonyLIV's Maharani is one of those class acts that is difficult to follow even for its own sequel. The Bihar politics of the '90s was one of the most explosive ones. Be it driven by Lalu Prasad Yadav or later, his wife Rabri Devi, it has always been a roller-coaster ride. The first season of the series, which was inspired by the LPY-Rabri Devi saga, established the context pretty well letting characters find their purpose. The follow-up keeps the vibe intact but lacks impact. Maharani Review: Huma Qureshi and Sohum Shah's Slow-Burn Political Thriller Is A Sincere Ode To Turbulent Bihar Politics (LatestLY Exclusive).
Rani Bharti (Huma Qureshi) is the CM of Bihar while Bheema Bharti (Sohum Shah) her husband, is operating from jail. While many think she is just his proxy, Rani Bharti is running the government on her own terms. Her anti-corrupt ways are ruffling many feathers but her biggest opposition is her own husband. Rani refuses to bow down to his diktats which bothers him so much that he tries to become a roadblock. The rest of the series is how Rani navigates not just the chair-hungry politicians in the opposition but Bheema as well.
Maharani always had a sluggish pace which works perfectly with the narrative. Rushing the plots will not give the moments enough room to evolve and impact. Every time someone pulls Rani Bharti down, she fights back and manoeuvres them really well. The twists happen gradually.
But where this season fails to recreate the glory of the previous one is the lack of heightened moments. Twists are good but you aren't excited about them. Also, you can comprehend these twists. They aren't anything out of the ordinary.
Maharani is extremely verbose, there's no use of silence in the narrative. If you remember, the quiet moments of Amitabh Bachchan in RGV's Sarkar were as powerful as were the dialogues. Here, everyone explains everything in long detail. It may not have bothered me if the plot transitions were thrilling. I understand after a while, politics gets mundane where one is just trying to usurp the other but the proceedings don't need to be so.
Maharani season 2 doesn't have any standout scenes unlike the original. In the previous season, the amount of derision Rani Bharti had to face when she was made the CM unwillingly, was quite amazing to watch. Sohum Shah Shares His Experience of Shooting for 'Maharani 2'.
Watch the trailer of Maharani Season 2
Every move will matter. #MaharaniS2, streaming on 25th Aug, only on #SonyLIV#MaharaniOnSonyLIV pic.twitter.com/HJJh4MmahH
— SonyLIV (@SonyLIV) August 1, 2022
Performances continue to be apt. Huma owns Rani Bharti like a boss. Be it the scenes where she is reprimanding officials for not doing the job, playing political tricks or just feeding her kids, she is simply fantastic. Sohum Shah does his role sincerely. Amita Sial as Bhartis' political rival Naveen Kumar continues to be neglected as a character. He is just there and yet Sial manages to shine.
Yay!
- The lull pace works
-Good twists
Nay!
-Novelty is lost
-too verbose
-no standout scene
Final Thoughts
Maharani season 2 as a standalone story would have been a lot more interesting. But when compared to its original, it pales. Maharani season 2 streams on SonyLIV.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 25, 2022 07:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).