Admittedly, there have been numerous attempts to recreate the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in cinematic terms, some, like Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham, quite recent and relevant.

Ram Madhvani’s six-part The Waking of a Nation on SonyLIV deep-dives into a tragedy that is about much more than body count and statistics. That “so many” died nameless, faceless, and pointlessly is not the point. More than any film I have seen on Dyer’s diabolism, Madhvani’s The Waking of a Nation eliminates the drama to focus on the tragedy for what it is: a slur on civilisation, like the Holocaust. For what is the difference between asphyxiating thousands in a gas chamber and cornering hundreds in an open space and shooting them point-blank?

Numbers, right? Madhvani goes beyond statistics. He has a keen eye and ear for capturing the ethos of oppression. However, the budget oftentimes betrays him. The crowd scenes—so essential to the plot—are not crowded enough.

The series works best in its intimate interludes. I especially liked the tender warmth shared between Hari Singh and his wife Poonam, two freedom fighters, impressively played by Bhawsheel Singh Sahni and Nikita Dutta (an actress we should see more of). Their journey from the genesis of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy to the horrific aftermath serves as a tender love story during those savage times.

Numbers, right? Madhvani goes beyond statistics. He has a keen eye and ear for capturing the ethos of oppression. However, the budget oftentimes betrays him. The crowd scenes—so essential to the plot—are not crowded enough.

The series works best in its intimate interludes. I especially liked the tender warmth shared between Hari Singh and his wife Poonam, two freedom fighters, impressively played by Bhawsheel Singh Sahni and Nikita Dutta (an actress we should see more of). Their journey from the genesis of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy to the horrific aftermath serves as a tender love story during those savage times.