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Maharani is an Indian Hindi-language political drama web series that premiered in 2021 on SonyLIV. Created by Subhash Kapoor, this series is loosely based on real-life events in the 1990s in Bihar, involving politicians Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife, Rabri Devi.
In the stellar cast, Huma Qureshi delivers an engaging performance as the protagonist, Rani Bharti, an unassuming homemaker inadvertently thrust into the world of politics when she is declared as the Chief Minister of Bihar post an attack on her husband. Sohum Shah, portraying the role of her husband Bheema Bharti, convincingly embodies the character of a powerful political figure.
The narrative delves into the political turbulence that unfolds as Rani navigates the tumultuous waters of politics, corruption, and power dynamics. Supporting her on this journey is a host of talented actors including Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti, and Inaamulhaq, each of whom lends depth and dynamism to the drama.
Directed by Karan Sharma in Season 1 and by Ravindra Gautam in Season 2, Maharani is bound to captivate its viewers with its gripping plot, intricate character portrayals, and the raw depiction of the political scenario of the time.
Web Series Name |
Maharani |
Genre |
Drama |
Directed By |
Karan Sharma (season 1) Ravindra Gautam (season 2) |
Language |
Hindi |
No of Season |
2 |
No of Episodes |
10 (Season 1) 10 (Season 2) |
Available On |
SonyLIV |
Maharani, an Indian Hindi-language political drama web series, takes its inspiration from the 1990s political landscape in Bihar, where Lalu Prasad Yadav appointed his homemaker wife, Rabri Devi, as his successor. Season 1 of the series, set between 1995 and 1999, brings to life events and characters inspired by real-life incidents such as the Ranvir Sena, left-wing militants, Naxalite groups, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, the 1997 Laxmanpur Bathe massacre, and the Fodder Scam. Season 2, beginning in mid-1999, explores events inspired by real-life characters and incidents like the Shilpi-Gautam Murder, Sadhu Yadav, Rajiv Goswami, Shibu Soren, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Prashant Kishor, the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and the 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.
In Season 1, after being unexpectedly named the successor by her critically injured husband, Rani Bharti, an illiterate woman, must handle governance, corruption, and caste massacres in Bihar. With strong caste dynamics, traditional political leaders, and dissenting voices within her party, can Rani Bharti withstand the challenges thrown her way?
Season 2 delves into the chaos that arises as Bheema Bharti runs a proxy government from prison while Rani Bharti faces accusations of misgovernance, lawlessness, and corruption. Wresting with opposition from both her own party and her husband's political adversaries, Rani Bharti is forced to make strategic moves to retain her position as the Chief Minister of Bihar, especially with elections imminent and her husband as her greatest foe.
Maharani web series, premiered on the popular streaming platform SonyLIV. The series was released in two phases. The first season, featuring ten episodes, made its debut on 28th May 2021. After growing anticipation from audiences, the second season was launched in 25 August 2022, offering an additional ten episodes.
Episode Name |
About The Episode |
Jaati Na Poochho Saadhu Ki |
We get a peek into the lives of Bheema Bharti, who's the top leader in Bihar, and his family. We also meet some other important folks in Bihar politics, like Navin Kumar and Gauri Pandey. |
Dekh Tamasha Kursi Ka |
CM Bheema Bharti is really sick in bed after barely making it through a dangerous attack. Bheema Bharti, Navin Kumar, and Party President Gauri Shankar Pandey are caught up in a messy three-way fight. |
Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol |
Rani Bharti, who cannot read or write and is quite shy, struggles when she's sworn in as the CM during the cabinet meeting. Afterwards, she tells the police chief to find the people behind Bheema's attack. |
Saadho Ye Murdo Ka Gaaon |
Rani Bharti, who recently became Bihar's Chief Minister, faced her first big challenge at work. She found out from the finance secretary, Parvez Alam, that the state doesn't have enough money to pay its employees, and all the state's treasuries are completely empty. It was a tough situation for her to handle. |
Kaun Thagwa Nagriya Lootal Ho Rama |
One night, when Parvez and his deputy Anjani were at the treasury office, they found some unusual bills. Rani suggested that they investigate the withdrawals from all 48 treasuries in Bihar to do with AHD. |
Na Kaahu Se Dosti Na Kahu Se Bair |
After talking to the AHD officials, Parvez Alam finds out that a scam was happening, and Minister Prem Kumar was okay with it. Rani tells him to quit his job, but Prem warns her that if he does, her government will collapse. |
Bahot Kathin Hai Dagar Panghat Ki |
Rani Bharti fires Prem Kumar and tells the police to investigate the fraud. This unexpected action by Prem Kumar puts Rani's government in a tough spot, as they no longer have the majority. |
Maya Maha Thagni Hum Jaani |
Bheema kept his word and made a deal with the Governor to stop Rani from holding Machan Baba. |
Chah Gyi Chinta Miti Manuaa Beparwaah |
Rani had a meeting with the Governor to get an explanation, and during their conversation, he shared some surprising news that completely surprised her. |
Jo Ghar Phoonke Aapno Chale Humare Saath |
Bheema has a tough talk with Rani about the scam, Virender Thakur's passing, and his connections with the Naxal leader Shankar Mahto. |
Episode Name |
About The Episode |
Jungle Raj |
Bihar is going through a chaotic situation, and Bheema is sort of controlling things from jail. The folks against Rani's leadership call it Jungle Raj and want her to step down due to a terrible incident that happened in Bihar. |
Daagi Bane Baagi |
Rani's fellow party members are upset with her for trying to end the chaos in the state. Now, Govardhan Das and Navin Kumar are getting together to figure out what they should do next. |
Vibhajan |
Bheema gets released from prison and tells Rani to resign from her political position. Rani's choice surprises not only her political opponents but also her husband. |
Ashirvaad |
Rani wants to stand up against Navin's tricky political move. Bheema sees a chance to boost his political career in Bihar because things are a bit chaotic in the political scene there. |
Vinashkale Viprite Buddhi |
A violent rebellion is happening in Bihar, and Rani feels really sad because Prem Kumar, who's been released on bail, told her something that hurt her deeply on a personal level. |
Pati, Patni aur Woh |
Rani is finding it difficult to come to terms with her new circumstances. Bheema starts a new political party when they announce the election results. Govardhan informs Rani about the violence and the bombing. |
Kingmaker |
Bihar is having its long-awaited election. Who do you think will become the next leader of Bihar: Bheema Bharti, Navin Kumar, or Rani Bharti? |
Sheh Aur Maat |
To set up a government, Bheema throws a Holi party and invites the recently elected members from RJSP and BVP. |
Hawamahal |
A group of three people, led by Martin Ekka, is assigned to investigate a sudden death in Bihar while the President is in charge. However, Mishra chooses to handle the matter on his own. |
Mastermind |
Martin meets with Rani to tell her what really happened when someone she cared about passed away suddenly. |
Sohum Shah (Bheema Bharti): Notable for works such as Tumbbad and Talvar, made his mark in a web series with Paatal Lok.
Amit Sial (Navin Kumar): Actor in films like Inside Edge and Raid, and web series like Mirzapur and Jammtara.
Pramod Pathak (Satyendranath Mishra): Known for films like Super 30 and Gali Guleiyan, and web series like Ashram and Mirzapur.
Kani Kusruti (Kaveri Sridharan): Mainly a Malayalam film actor, she made her Hindi web series debut with Maharani.
Inaamulhaq (Parvez Alam): Known for films like Filmistaan and Airlift, transitioned to digital space with Maharani.
Vineet Kumar (Gauri Shankar Pandey): Known for roles in movies like Masaan and Mukkabaaz, and web series Betaal and Grahan.
Tanu Vidyarthi (Khyati): Tanu is an Indian Television actress who rose into prominence with her role in the TV Show Maharani.
Harish Khanna (Shankar Mahto): Known for films like Inside Edge and Aarakshan, and the web series Mirzapur.
Mohammad Aashique Hussain (Prem Kumar Chaubey): An upcoming actor with roles in TV series like Kota Factory.
Sushil Pandey (Kunwar Singh): An established actor from Raanjhanaa and Article 15, Sushil Pandey appeared in the web series Ashram.
Kannan Arunachalam (DGP Siddhant Gautam): Has acted in several Tamil films such as Kadal, Thegidi, and Pizza.
Atul Tiwari (Governor Govardhan Daas): Known for films like Aarakshan, and Svah! So Be It, contributed to Maharani.
Pankaj Jha (Diwakar Jha): Pankaj Jha Known for his roles in movies like Gangs of Wasseypur and the web series Sacred Games.
Anuja Sathe (Kirti Singh): Anuja Sathe is known for her roles in Blackmail, and the web series Sacred Games.
Neha Chauhan (Kalpana Kaul): Neha Chauhan is known for her performances in Love Sex Aur Dhokha and Gandu, and the web series Paatal Lok.
Anushka Kaushik (Shilpa Agarwal): An upcoming actress with roles in Spam, and the web series Tandav.
Sukumar Tudu (Dulari Yadav): Known for Sonchiriya and the web series Bandish Bandits.
Robin Das (Ekkal Munda): Known for Bandit Queen, Ardh Satya, and the web series Panchayat.
Ansha Sayed (Sanjana Dutt): Ansha Sayed is known for the long-running TV series C.I.D. and for her role in the film Lalbazaar.
Danish Iqbal (Dilshad Mirza): An established theater actor and director known for his works in plays such as Dara Shikoh and Ghalib in New Delhi.
Leysan Karimova (Zehra Shaikh): She is a new face in the entertainment industry with her role in Maharani.
Dibyendu Bhattacharya (Martin Ekka): Known for films like Dev D, Lootera, and the web series Apharan.
Kumar Saurabh (Sanyasi Rai): Kumar Saurabh is known for Hate Story 4, Article 15, and the web series Paatal Lok.
Pranay Narayan (Kamta Prasad): Known for films like Hasee Toh Phasee, and the web series The Prayag Raj.
Agasthya Shanker (Jagganath Tripathi): A rising actor, known for Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega.
Vishwa Bhanu (Hemraj): Known for films like Manikarnika and Citylights.
Alok Chatterjee (Mukhiya): Known for roles in films like Masaan and Dum Laga Ke Haisha.
Neeraj Kashyap: An actor known for his performance in Citylights, and the web series Asur.
Divyashekhar Jha (Shrawan Kumar a.k.a. Shaun): An artist known for his roles in FIR and Satya Savitri Ani Satyavaan.
Series Directors
Ravindra Gautam (10 episodes, 2022)
Karan Sharma (unknown episodes)
Series Writing Credits
Singh Nandan (1 episode, 2021)
Uma Shankar Singh (1 episode, 2021)
Subhash Kapoor (creator, unknown episodes, 2021)
Series Produced by
Zohaib Ali (line producer, 20 episodes, 2021-2022)
Parth Gadhavi (creative producer, 10 episodes, 2021)
Durgesh Ashok Gupta (post producer, 10 episodes, 2021)
Ankit Jain (supervising producer, 10 episodes, 2021)
Sanadiip Karleh (line producer, 10 episodes, 2021)
Shrijeet Singh Thakur (line producer Narmadapuram, 10 episodes, 2022)
Syed Zaid Ali (line producer, 1 episode, 2022)
Dimple Kharbanda (executive producer/producer, unknown episodes)
Naren Kumar (producer, unknown episodes)
Series Music by
Mangesh Dhakde (20 episodes, 2021-2022)
Series Cinematography by
Anup Singh (20 episodes, 2021-2022)
Series Film Editing by
Kunal Walve (1 episode, 2022)
Bheema Bharti (played by Sohum Shah): Bihar's Chief Minister and Rani Bharti's husband, Bheema faces a near-fatal attack, leading him to name Rani as his successor. Despite being bedridden for a time, he continues to run a proxy government from prison. Throughout the series, Bheema finds himself battling Rani, opposition forces, and political rivals.
Navin Kumar (played by Amit Sial): Navin Kumar is the Chief of Bihar People's Party. He is engaged in political struggles with both Bheema Bharti and Party President Gauri Shankar Pandey. As Rani assumes her new role as Chief Minister, he becomes a key player in the political unrest that unfolds in the series.
Kaveri Sridharan (played by Kani Kusruti): Kaveri serves as Rani's secretary, providing her with assistance and support throughout the series as Rani navigates the complex and challenging world of politics.
Parvez Alam (played by Inaamulhaq): Parvez Alam is the Finance Secretary, who helps Rani Bharti by investigating suspicious AHD withdrawals from Bihar's treasuries.
Gauri Shankar Pandey (played by Vineet Kumar): Gauri Shankar Pandey is the Party President, contending with Bheema Bharti and Navin Kumar in the political power struggles in Bihar.
Huma Qureshi offered a peek into the behind-the-scenes action from the sets of the show in an Instagram video. It featured clips from different shooting locations and provided a glimpse of a lighter atmosphere contrary to the intense nature of the series. Huma captured the joy and camaraderie of the crew, including the actors, and claimed that a team that laughs a lot works the best together.
The video even showcased a candid moment with series writer Subhash Kapoor. They shared a laugh about the number of dialogues penned for Maharani and Huma’s struggle to remember all of them. In a light-hearted confession, she playfully admitted to not having done justice to the amazing writing of the series.
Moreover, the footage also showed the cast members playing football off-set, exhibiting the light-hearted moments captured during the shooting of this intense political drama series.
Maharani follows the story of Rani Bharti (Huma Qureshi), a simple, illiterate homemaker who is unexpectedly appointed as the Chief Minister of Bihar after an assassination attempt leaves her husband Bheema Bharti incapacitated. As Rani navigates the treacherous world of politics, she confronts caste-based disputes and unearths massive corruption within the government, including discovering her husband's involvement in various scams. Determined to uphold justice, Rani institutes a fair-play government, arrests all corrupt individuals, and restores the public's faith. In the end, Rani remains unyielding in her dedication to justice despite Bheema's ominous warning from behind bars, declaring her commitment to serving as the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Maharani is seen as an engaging political drama series. The series draws most of its praises for the performances of the main cast, with Huma Qureshi, Sohum Shah, and Amit Sial's portrayals particularly appreciated. The story revolves around the political scenario of 1990s Bihar and is praised for its grip and intricately woven plot lines.
Positive feedback highlights an engaging and well-paced storyline that successfully holds viewers' attention, and some reviewers even compare it favorably to other Indian political dramas. They generally admire the performances of key cast members, portraying their characters effectively and contributing to the overall dramatic impact of the series.
The viewers are also impressed by the accurate and realistic portrayal of Bihar's complex political landscape. Interplays of power, caste-based politics, and corruption are significant themes that resonated with the audience.
Some criticism comes from viewers who believe the series over-glorifies certain characters or oversimplifies the reality of political corruption in Bihar. However, these perspectives are mainly outnumbered by positive reviews.
Based on the user reviews on IMDB, Maharani is seen as an engaging political drama series. The series draws most of its praises for the performances of the main cast, with Huma Qureshi, Sohum Shah, and Amit Sial's portrayals particularly appreciated. The story revolves around the political scenario of 1990s Bihar and is praised for its grip and intricately woven plot lines.
Positive feedback highlights an engaging and well-paced storyline that successfully holds viewers' attention, and some reviewers even compare it favorably to other Indian political dramas. They generally admire the performances of key cast members, portraying their characters effectively and contributing to the overall dramatic impact of the series.
The viewers are also impressed by the accurate and realistic portrayal of Bihar's complex political landscape. Interplays of power, caste-based politics, and corruption are significant themes that resonated with the audience.
Some criticism comes from viewers who believe the series over-glorifies certain characters or oversimplifies the reality of political corruption in Bihar. However, these perspectives are mainly outnumbered by positive reviews.
Overall, Maharani is perceived as a must-watch series for its strong storyline, top-notch performances, and compelling portrayal of Bihar's politics.
Everyone enjoys a blockbuster movie, a captivating TV show, or a can't-stop-streaming web series. Imagine the joy and surprise when you receive a personalised video message from celebrities from the above web show Maharani.
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