Review: Maharani (TV Series)
Maharani is a gripping political drama that draws its dust, drama, and daring from Bihar’s turbulent political landscape of the 1990s and early 2000s. Though its creators insist that the series is “fiction,” its world feels unmistakably inspired by real events, power struggles, and familiar political archetypes from Indian politics.
As someone who watches many films but only a few TV serials, Maharani caught my attention when its fourth season was released in October 2025. Each season consists of eight episodes, with some running up to an hour. Overall, I’d rate the series 7 out of 10—slightly below other reality-based Indian shows like Dahaad or Scoop—yet it stands out as a fiction-laced mirror to Bihar’s, and by extension India’s, political story.
At the heart of Maharani is Rani Bharti (played by Huma Qureshi), a simple, rural woman unexpectedly elevated to the Chief Minister’s chair after her husband’s assassination attempt. This premise of “accidental power” and “calculated manipulation” clearly echoes the rise of leaders—especially women—who were propelled into politics not through apprenticeship, but as proxies within dynastic and patriarchal systems.
While not a biopic, the show’s narrative unmistakably alludes to:
- Lalu Prasad Yadav’s political dominance and the so-called “jungle raj.”
- The infamous fodder scam, reimagined here as a “seed scam” exposing systemic corruption.
- Navin Kumar, a clean-image, development-oriented leader modeled loosely on Nitish Kumar—who, remarkably, took the oath as Bihar’s Chief Minister for the tenth time in November 2025.
- Violent caste clashes and booth-capturing reminiscent of 1990s electoral violence.
- Internal party coups and backstabbing, reflecting decades of factionalism in Bihar politics.
- Naxal–politician entanglements reflecting real armed dynamics in central Bihar.
- The 2001 division of Bihar and Jharkhand.
- Dyansty in politics
The series cleverly blends the period setting of the 1990s–2000s with modern-day political references. It nods to slogans like “Double Engine Sarkar” (used by Yogi Adityanath and Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh), the “Nelson” figure inspired by M.K. Stalin of Tamil Nadu, and even the trope of a Chief Minister with two wives. There are subtle parallels to contemporary incidents—from media suppression and government agency overreach (IT, ED, CBI) to high-profile cases like Aryan Khan’s imprisonment—all threaded through metaphors rooted in mythology and modern politics.
Maharani plays a clever masquerade. It’s labeled as “fiction,” yet its characters and events are clearly drawn from the silhouettes of real politicians, scandals, and power equations. Rather than offering direct portrayals, it’s like tracing constellations from bright stars—recognizable shapes without a perfect one-to-one match. Every side is shown with flaws, and the criticism is balanced, cautious, and sharp. The writers manage to convey satire with subtlety and intelligence—enough to provoke thought without inviting censorship or harassment.
"In the guise of fiction, a writer can more easily tell the truth, hiding behind his characters and other forms of make-believe" - the Anglo-American Christopher Isherwood and the German Alfred Döblin, novelists who each wrote about Berlin in the 1920s and early 1930 about what was coming. Fiction can serve as an effective converyer of the realities.
I expect the season 5 to be released . Huma Querish's acting as Rani Bharti ( glorified Rabri Devi) is the main driving force of the TV series.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharani_(OTT_TV_series)
