11 September,2026 02:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Rachel Pereira
Stills from The Revolutionaries. Pics via YouTube
History has never been short of stories; the problem is that we tend to remember only a handful of them. The Revolutionaries attempts to shift the spotlight towards the young men and women who chose a more militant path in India's freedom struggle.
The series brings together Rash Behari Bose, Sachindranath Sanyal, Pratibha Lahiri and Bagha Jatin against the backdrop of British rule. These aren't characters who get to simply pick up a gun and become heroes. The show spends considerable time establishing their relationships, their motivations and the personal costs of choosing revolution over a normal life.
Bhuvan Bam is perhaps the biggest surprise here. Seeing him inhabit a historical figure with this much seriousness takes a little getting used to. But once the initial familiarity wears off, he settles into Rash Behari Bose rather well. There is a restraint to his performance that works, particularly when Bose has to carry the weight of decisions that affect more than just himself. Bam doesn't try to make the character larger than life, which makes his quieter moments more effective.
Rohit Saraf also deserves credit for stepping away from the romantic roles audiences have become accustomed to seeing him in. His Sachin Sanyal gets a good mix of idealism and conflict, while Pratibha Ranta brings a quiet strength to Pratibha Lahiri. Her character is particularly interesting because the show doesn't simply make her a romantic attachment to one of the revolutionaries; it gives her a place within a movement dominated by men.
Gurfateh Pirzada makes an impression as Bagha Jatin, bringing a physical intensity to the role. His presence adds another dimension to the group, although the way his storyline is handled leaves you wanting more from a character who has so much potential.
The show takes its time establishing the relationships between its central characters, which is welcome initially. However, certain emotional threads are revisited so frequently that they begin to lose their impact. The romantic equation between Sachin and Pratibha, for instance, could have been handled with greater subtlety instead of repeatedly circling back to the same emotional territory.
The same issue affects some of the revolutionary planning. Scenes that should build anticipation occasionally feel stretched, taking some of the urgency out of the narrative. Thankfully, the action sequences bring the pace back whenever the series begins to drag. They have enough weight to make the danger feel real without turning the revolutionaries into invincible superheroes.
One of the more refreshing aspects of The Revolutionaries is that it doesn't reduce the freedom struggle to a series of familiar patriotic speeches. The show is more interested in the people behind the rebellion, their friendships, disagreements, sacrifices and the lives they were willing to give up.
The Revolutionaries deserves credit for attempting to tell a part of India's independence story that doesn't always occupy the front row of popular history. Its young cast brings conviction, the period setting looks convincing and the central group gives the series its emotional pull.
There is enough here to make you pause and look beyond the freedom fighters whose names we learnt in school. Sometimes, the stories hiding in the margins of history are worth revisiting. The Revolutionaries is currently streaming on Prime Video.
