INDIA: There comes an unforgettable moment towards the end of the penultimate episode of ‘Jubilee’ when the motion picture tycoon Srikant Roy (masterfully played by Prosenjit Chatterjee), finding himself at the lowest point in his life, delivers the now famous Madan Kumar monologue from the series: “Maine Zindagi Mein Jo Kuch Bhi Kiya Shayad Sab Galat Kiya Par Lekin Kiye Par Pachtana Aur Apni Galti Ke Liyein Maafi Maangna Mere Usool Ke Khilaf Hai…”
It’s a moment of pure fatalism in cinematic parlance as Roy’s hubris proves to be the reason for his undoing. Just like that, it has found its rightful place in the canon of the finest film noir moments (alongside the climaxes of ‘Double Indemnity’ and ‘Sunset Blvd’).
We first hear the Madan Kumar monologue in the opening episode of ‘Jubilee’ as delivered by Jamshed Khan, as part of his audition to become Madan Kumar—a name coined by Shrikant Roy for the soon-to-be newest star of Roy Talkies. Back in the day, it was common for film studios to assign such starry names to their actors as part of the branding and positioning.
Some might wonder why a name like Jamshed Khan is no less starry than Madan Kumar. Remember that we are talking about the 1940s and the ’50s, not the ’90s and beyond. Back then, a Muslim surname of a leading star in a Hindu-majority country (undivided pre-partition India) was seen as counterintuitive (remember, Dilip Kumar’s real name was Mohammed Yusuf Khan). Of course, it was otherwise an entirely secular industry wherein talent took priority over everything else.
Returning to the monologue, it is during the final few moments of the first episode that Roy’s lab assistant Binod Das showcases his hidden acting talents and convinces Roy that he, too, would make a good Madan Kumar if given the opportunity. It’s a moment highly reminiscent of the finale of Damien Chazelle’s ‘Whiplash,’ when J.K. Simmon’s Fletcher finally recognizes and acknowledges Miles Teller’s Andrew’s incredible abilities as a drummer.
It’s moments like these that make ‘Jubilee’ one of the finest Indian series yet, despite occasional hiccups. As a series, it attains consistent highs throughout its 10-episode run. The storytelling is also compelling from the first to the ninth. It’s only during the season finale that things begin to falter.
But it’s something that one can still overlook, given the sprawling nature of the narrative and the vast panoply of characters at hand. Moreover, it’s a good ending like ‘Game of Thrones.’ The manner in which some characters completed their arcs felt rushed up and inorganic.
A major highlight of Jubilee is Amit Trivedi’s epic background score. There are moments when the score alone carries the narrative forward. It’s a score of truly international quality with richness and vision that can be compared to the works of Jerry Goldsmith or Howard Shore.
Trivedi also has composed about a dozen songs for Jubilee, and most of them are memorable in their own ways (if anything, the lyrics could have been better). He had to isolate himself completely to transport himself to the era of the 1940s and ’50s, and the end result, particularly the background score, is nothing short of excellent.
Nuanced storytelling combined with dynamic acting performances
The acting performances on offer in Jubilee range from solid to sublime, with Prosenjit Chatterjee (making his OTT debut and essaying a rare Hindi part) leading from the front. While Roy’s passion for moviemaking is undeniable, his megalomaniacal lust for controlling the lives of all those around him knows no bounds.
That’s what makes Srikant Roy a tragic character in the vein of Chhabi Biswas’ Huzur from Satyajit Ray’s Jalsaghar or Klaus Kinski’s Aguirre from Werner Herzog’s ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God.’ The other leads of the show, Vinod Das aka Madan Kumar, Jay Khanna, Sumitra Devi, and Niloufer, essayed by Aparshakti Khurana, Sidhant Gupta, Aditi Rao Hydari (there is an uncanny similarity between her Sumitra Devi and Kangana Ranaut’s Miss Julia in Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Rangoon’), and Wamiqa Gabbi, respectively, are no less memorable.
Regarding the supporting acts, Nandish Singh Sandhu as Jamshed Khan and Ram Kapoor as Shamsher Singh Walia stand out.
The series has also done a good job of capturing the plight of the refugees during the partition times. It has also thrown some light on how widespread riots were happening at the time, with the Hindus and the Muslims seeing each other as enemies. The aspirational aspects of a newly born nation (Nehru’s famous ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech is also briefly invoked in the series), as seen through the eyes of the younger individuals, also get captured well in the series.
The trio of Vikramaditya Motwane, Soumik Sen, and Atul Sabharwal (Sabharwal is a master at employing archival material, as we have also earlier seen in ‘Class of ’83’) must be commended for their attention to period detail while also offering a rather revisionist take on the period during which the series is set.
Pratik Shah excels in the cinematography department. It’s nothing less than a treat to savour the scintillating dance of seduction buoyed by Shah’s breathtaking visuals and Trivedi’s captivating score.
Transcontinental Times Rating: 4 stars out of 5
(Murtaza Ali Khan is an award-winning film & television critic covering cinema and entertainment for the last 15 years. He tweets at @MurtazaCritic).
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