Jubilee REVIEW: Vikramaditya Motwane gives a nuanced glimpse of the golden era of Hindi films with some stellar performances

Series: Jubilee: Part 1 (First 5 episodes)

Director: Vikramaditya Motwane

Platform: Amazon Prime Video

Star cast: Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sidhant Gupta, Wamiqa Gabbi, Ram Kapoor, Nandish Sandhu

Bollywood Bubble Ratings: 3.5/5 stars

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Jubilee is a nuanced glimpse in the golden era of Bollywood

Jubilee Review:

The 50s and 60s are known as the golden era of Hindi cinema for a reason. The times were simpler and stories so relatable. The audiences had a different connection with the artists, which has somehow changed over the years.

With Jubilee, Vikramaditya Motwane has tried to revive that era and pay a homage to it. Meanwhile, also discussing behind the scenes politics and the ugly side of the business. And I must say he has achieved that to a very good extent.

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The director has a very aesthetic sense when it comes to his frames. With a period setting, that talent has shone quite bright. Each frame in the first 5 episodes looks picturesque. And even though the core of the series is about the film industry, it touches on other aspects too.

The show also depicts the effect of partition through Sidhant Gupta’s character. It also touches on subjects of extra marital affairs, girls being pushed into prostitution, opportunism, revenge and much more. And credit where it’s due, Vikram has shown it all with utmost nuance, without making any of it caricaturish. Although, it is very easy to fall into that trap when making a period piece.

But what makes Jubilee work for me much more than just Vikramaditya’s excellence is the stellar performances by the cast. My favourites in the series are Sidhant and Wamiqa Gabbi, and I’ll elaborate on it a little later. But the show does offer a glimpse into the world of that time that most of us only imagine. It might be set in the late 40s and 50s, but it is a visual spectacle for the contemporary audience as well.

Story:

Jubilee is the story of a fictional leading film studio of Hindi films named Roy Talkies. It’s founder Srikant Roy is a star maker and is on the hunt to find his next superstar Madan Kumar. The search for him leads to many lives getting entangled which then forays into a tale of love, deceit, revenge, desire, partition and more.

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Drawbacks:

While the first five episodes of the series present a beautiful telling of Vikramaditya’s brainchild, it does have some shortcomings. The most major one is the length of the episodes. While I understand that since it’s a series, the director wants to focus on every aspect in detail. But there are many moments where you would want to push the forward button just to skip ahead to the important part.

Apart from that, while the performances are great by every actor, I just felt that Prosenjit was underutilised a bit in the first 5 episodes. He is a bonafide superstar with so much to offer. The makers could have extracted more out of him. But that might change in the last 5 episodes dropping next Friday, as from what I have heard, they have a lot for him.

Star Performances:

Prosenjit Chatterjee as I said already, is a star. His aura on screen is magnetic and he imbibes the character of Srikant Roy. He is cunning, manipulative, controlling, something quite away from Prosenjit’s real life persona. But when you see him on screen, you just see Srikant and not the actor. My only complaint is that I wanted way more of him. Hopefully, it will happen in the next 5 episodes.

Aparshakti Khurana has come out of the bracket that Bollywood had put him in. And what an exit it is from that stereotyping. He shows depth in his characterisation. You see a mix of innocence, naivety, desire to please his master and also malice in his eyes and body language. His silence is deafening. He has a dream that he is willing to go to any length to achieve. But there is still something lacking even after he achieves that. Aparshakti shows that conundrum with utmost aplomb.

Aditi Rao Hydari comes from one period role to another, and I assert it again, these roles are just meant for her. She has that thing in her eyes that makes you believe they have an incomplete story to tell. Her role of Sumitra, a leading actress and Srikant’s wife is so engaging. She is someone who wants to do so much that is out of her control. There is so much wanting in her and Aditi portrays that effectively. More period roles for Aditi please!

Sidhant Gupta as Jay is my favourite character in the show. I can say it with pride that a star is born with this series. The actor has the most interesting story arc in the first 5 episodes. And when he does that freestyle dancing with his pelvis, which was signature to that era, he just stole my heart then and there. He has a charm that pulls you in and his story is the most engaging one. But while his arc is interesting, it would have amounted to nothing if not for a good actor. And that shows Sidhant’s prowess. The graph he shows as a character and an actor is impeccable. It’s difficult not to fall in love with him. He is now all set for bigger and better things.

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Wamiqa Gabbi is another star born from Jubilee. Her Niloufer is unapologetic, unabashed yet poised and graceful. She lives life on her terms but knows where to compromise too. Wamiqa fits the part perfectly and the playfulness she has is to die for. Her scenes with Sidhant are my favourite. Watch out for Wamiqa, as she has arrived with a bang.

Ram Kapoor is as eclectic as he always is. He brings a different level of energy every time he comes on screen. There is limited scope of him in the first 5 episodes, but he still leaves a lasting impact.

Nandish Sandhu is a charmer on screen. He is shown as the person who everyone believes to be the next superstar and the way he portrays that, you really believe it to be true. You root for him, you fall in love with him and you feel for him. He has an amazing hold over the audience throughout his act. This man has just grown leaps and bounds and Jubilee is a proof to that.

Direction/Screenplay:

Simply put, Vikramaditya is a visionary. But from the person who made a film like Udaan, I actually expected nothing less. His vision of the retro era never feels forced, cartoonish or fake. He takes you along with him deep down nostalgia lane. And the tinted frames just make the experience all the more realistic. He has done his job pretty well by executing an engaging story and pulling out exceptional performances out of his actors. It’s because of his mastery that I am eagerly awaiting the next 5 episodes of the series.

As for the screenplay, I already said that it could have been cut short for a better viewing experience. Since the show is on OTT, the audience actually has the option to do that. But that isn’t what you want as a maker. Other than that, the world creation, the sets and everything else, makes the experience all the more better.

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Music:

Amit Trivedi has created his magic yet again. With Qala, he showed how skillful he is to create new music in retro style and with Jubilee, he did that again. The music is enjoyable and memorable. It binds the story instead of just being there for the sake of it. I am still humming and grooving to Babu Ji Bhole Bhale and waiting for the entire album. This man is a maverick.

Conclusion:

Concluding my Jubilee review, I would just say that there are two stars born through this show, Sidhant and Wamiqa. And it’s not to say that the others are any less. They are stars already. You might feel a little impatient at time with the screenplay, but the exceptional performances by all the actors will keep you hooked. This one is the perfect ode to the golden era by Vikramaditya, and here’s just hoping the last 5 episodes better that experience.

Watch Jubilee trailer after the review:

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Did you know Prosenjit Chatterjee REJECTED Salman Khan starrer Maine Pyar Kiya? Actor reveals reason