Maharani (web series)
Maharani () is an 2021 Indian Hindi-language drama streaming television series created by Subhash Kapoor. The series is directed by Karan Sharma. The series stars Huma Qureshi as the protagonist along with Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti and Inaamulhaq. The political multi-seasons series is partly inspired by what happened in Bihar in the 1990s when Lalu Prasad Yadav made his homemaker wife Rabri Devi his successor. Maharani premiered on SonyLIV on May 28, 2021. Premise. This is a fictional story, where Rani Bharti is a homemaker and the wife of Bihar's chief minister Bheema . All she cares about is her house and her husband. She wants to pack her bags and go back to the village after her husband resigns from the post of Bihar's CM. But her life takes a turn when her husband and Bihar's CM is made to announce the name of his successor. While his party members look excited to hear who has been appointed, he makes Rani his successor, leaving everyone surprised. Production. Sohum Shah gained a 12 kg to get look of the politician Bheema, which has been modelled on the basis of Lalu Prasad Yadav . In November 2020, some portions were shot in Kachnariya Kothi, Bhopal. In April 2021, the shooting for web series was also done in Legislative Assembly (LA) Jammu complex of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state and Govt. Gandhi Memorial Science College, Jammu. Around 250 local artists from the theatre and cultural department in Jammu and Kashmir were brought in for the web-series. Some drone shots of J.P. Setu and Buddha Smriti Park were also shown in the web series. The shooting of Maharani was completed in seven months. Reception. Critical response. Writing for The "Firstpost", Prathyush Parasuraman gave the  series 3 stars and stated that Huma Qureshi shines in a sanitised portrayal of Rabri Devi. Rohan Naahar stated in The Hindustan Times that the series is over-plotted yet underwritten. Archika Khurana wrote in Times of India that the web series is engaging at most times. "The Times Of India" described it as a “well-structured screenplay”, while Biz Asia pointed out how the show brings the importance of virtue to the forefront. Actress Twinkle Khanna praised the performance of Huma Qureshi in the web series. Actor Shatrughan Sinha also praised Maharani and said that Huma Qureshi has the  potential of becoming a role model for other artists. Rishita Roy Chowdhury of "India Today" said the series is about Saheb, Biwi aur Bihar. Rohit Vats of "News18" gave Maharani 2.5 stars. "The Quint" mentioned that Maharani lives up to the hype. Aditya Menon in The Quint wrote that the web series trid to invert the ‘Jungle Raj’ tag that was put on the Lalu Yadav-Rabri Devi period in Bihar. Saibal Chatterjee of "NDTV" wrote that Maharani is a passable account of a state fighting steady decline and seeking regeneration. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" stated that Huma  Qureshi flourishes in a web series with banal writing. Subhash. K.Jha called it a taut political drama with surprising twists and turns. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in wrote that the cast of Maharani has brilliant performances. Rony Patra from "LetsOTT" stated that strong characters and an authentic Bihari milieu coupled with “bombastic dialogues” made the series a gripping watch. Rishita Roy Chowdhury of India Today went on to applaud Huma Qureshi's performance saying” she brings nuances and emotional gradients to her character. Bollywood Life called it a sensational and intriguing game of political chess. Kriti Tulsiani from ZoomTV wrote that  the show boasts of a captivating premise but falls victim to the makers’ linear storytelling approach. BINGED called it a well-crafted chronicle of a story that needed telling. Spotboye made the parallel with Scam 1992, calling it another big winner for SonyLIV. Controversy. After the release of first trailer on 9 May 2021, the Yadav community protested over a dialogue in the web series and filed FIR. The makers of web series later apologized and removed that dialogue from the web series.