Web Show: Jubilee

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

Cast: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aparshakti Khurana, Wamiqa Gabbi, Sidhant Gupta, Nandish Sandhu, Ram Kapoor, Shweta Basu Prasad

Episodes: 5 (part 2)

OTT: Prime Video

Rating: 4 Moons

The sensation that Jubilee has become in the last week is not unknown to cinephiles. After a week-long wait, the second part of the season is here and there's no way you should miss it. Rarely does a show leave you curious, happy, satisfied yet devastated. Jubilee achieves it all and we aren't complaining. Vikramaditya Motwane, you have a winner!

The second part of Jubilee takes the story of Binod Das (Aparshakti Khurana), Srikant Roy (Prosenjit Chatterjee), Sumitra Kumari (Aditi Rao Hydari), Jay Khanna (Sidhant Gupta) and Niloufer Qureshi (Wamiqa Gabbi) forward. The tables have turned as friends Binod a.k.a Madan Kumar and Jay are now foes and competitors at the box office. With fame, stardom and power brushing their shoulders, a sense of forbidding looms around them. As dynamics and equations between the five of them change within and outside Roy Studios, Jubilee soars. 

The initial five episodes of Jubilee were vibrant, and fast-paced, and took ample time to establish the characters. Now, the challenge is to add several layers, a razor-sharp edge and give every individual a justified conclusion. Does Vikramaditya succeed? He excels. The narrative is bustling with various plotlines ranging from internal politics, business, revenge, love, redemption, sacrifice, shades of stardom and failure. From the cultural impact of films on people, the film industry shaping up under the influence of those controlling countries to the clash between an established superstar and a refugee who is the new heartthrob and bankable face, the director uses all his might with writer Atul Sabharwal to give us all the access to be a part of the reel and real-world of Jubilee. 

The 10-part show (the first 5 released on April 7) is a slow-burn allowing the viewers to savour rich flavours of love, hatred, shrewdness, heartbreak, revenge and destruction of career and interpersonal relations. Soaking the show into the essence of an emotional drama, the team of Jubilee pays tribute to yesteryear legends and several references to films released post-Independence take you back to that era. Staying relevant by sticking to the 50s while being as modern as it could, the series doesn't throw you out of sync. Yes, the runtime makes it sluggish for a while before it brings you back to being the spectator of a soul-satisfying and gobsmacking climax. 

The initial five episodes of Jubilee put Aparshakti, Aditi, Prosenjit, Sidhant and Wamiqa in the limelight but the second part does justice to all the characters who were somewhere lost in the narrative. As the layers peel off, the more you get to learn more about the people in that world. Every character possesses shades of grey yet there's no reason to hate them. There's empathy over sympathy or hatred. That's the beauty of Jubilee. 

Aparshakti, who was stereotyped as 'hero ka dost', is the star of Jubilee and this is just the beginning. Breaking the image of a comic hero, he emerges victorious by stepping into the coat of Madan Kumar/Binod Das who is not your conventional real-life idol despite being a celluloid icon. Aparshakti's range goes from greedy, arrogant, and cunning to helpless seamlessly. Jubilee is the re-birth of Aparshakti-the actor. 

Another star to emerge out of Jubilee is Sidhant. While his first film was the lesser-known and below-average Operation Romeo, it wouldn't be wrong to call the show his true debut. What a revelation he is. There are several layers to Jay and as you get to know him more, you shall fall for his personality despite all the flaws and shortcomings. It is a character owned by Sidhant. Wamiqa gets to put forth her dramatic side in the second half of Jubilee. She aces it and how. The actress exudes charm and softness in every frame. That's how she lends Niloufer a personal voice. 

Aditi Rao Hydari is hypnotic in her own unique way. She will make you question Sumitra's decisions but at the end of it, you will feel for her loss. Known as the queen of period dramas, Aditi knows how to carry Sumitra with grace. She excels in dramatic scenes and makes Jubilee a concoction of delicious, raw and spicy flavours with a dash of sweetness. Prosenjit gets limited space in the second part but he shines in spite of that. 

Ram Kapoor is delightful as always. The second half honours his craft better. Nandish Sandhu's Jamshed fails to impress, sadly. There's not much for the actor to project and his character has limited room to connect with the audience. Shweta Basu Prasad does a good job as Ratna.

Music is another key asset of Jubilee, all thanks to Amit Trivedi's songs and Kausar Munir's lyrics. There's a song for each situation. Songs like Udankhatole, Dil Jahan Pe Le Chala, Dariyacha Raja, Nahin Ji Nahin and Saare Ke Saare Akele are unique and absolutely mesmerising. Cinematographer Pratik Shah deserves equal credit for making Jubilee what it is. 

Jubilee is a rare show that's edgy, slow-burn and a masterpiece in its own sense. Though the entire season is almost 10 hours long, trust the makers and give it a shot. There will be no regrets as the director, writer, creators and actors have given their best. 

PeepingMoon gives Jubilee Part 2 4 Moons