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Much has been said (in admiration) of the latest web series in the world of OTT – Jubilee. It takes you back to the era immortalised by the fine talent of actors of the likes of Madhubala, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, and Meena Kumari among others.
Jubilee has won many hearts with its poignant storytelling.
What works
The maker (Vikramaditya Motwane) gets the due for the craftsmanship when the viewer can pity and hate Aparshakti Khurana for being Madan Kumar aka Binod without putting a face to the name from the yesteryears. Not just Khurana, other actors have drawn as much praise. It won’t be, however, wrong to say that multiple layers of each character did help them to deliver great performances. The pain of partition for millions, and the misery it brought upon the people have been depicted with stories that tug at heart strings.
Jay Khanna, played by Sidhant Gupta, is clever, sensitive, ambitious, miserable, helpless, and creative – all at the same time. A refugee-artist, he is the glue that a beautifully written plot needs.
While popular movies have been infamous for the portrayal of women, Jubilee has made an effort to check a few boxes to live up to the expectations of the contemporary audience. Aditi Rao Hyadri – playing Sumitra Kumari – is an unapologetic boss lady. Married, and still a Bollywood star (which was unusual in the 1940s), unapologetic about an affair, and ready to give a tough fight when needed – it’s arguably one of the most memorable performances by Hyadri. Niloufer, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, is a sex-worker who won’t shy away from following her free will. She is resilient, and ready to build a fortune without caring for consequences. Madan Kumar’s wife Ratna, played by Shweta Basu Prasad, also does not walk in her husband’s shadow.
Misses
A healthy portrayal has to go beyond checkboxes. All through the 10 episodes, a cussword follows Madan Kumar’s name. The cussword – which is used very commonly – abuses women more, arguably, than the man who it is used for. You keep listening to it even without the Madan Kumar reference, and it may be an unpopular opinion… but why is that needed at all?
It’s not just about Jubilee. Using such words to abuse women, in order to abuse men, has been normalised on TV shows, movies etc since time immemorial.
Coming back to the web series, as the season draws to a close, the lead actor – Jay Khanna, played by Sidhant Gupta – can’t marry a prostitute. Her success on the silver screen is easier to forget but not her past. Ratna Das stands by her husband despite his (highly) questionable choices in life. And Sumitra Kumari… well, the boss lady deserved a better closure?
Jubilee could be viewed as Amazon Prime’s reply to Netflix’s Qala. Only that Qala was a story of a woman by a woman.
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