Humble Politiciann Nograj
RATING
Introduction
And onto the final new release of the weekend and I have just finished watching the new Kannada series Humble Politiciann Nograj on Voot Select. This is the fourth webseries for the weekend which is a bit of a record for us! So if you are loving our reviews then please do spread the word, we need every bit of your love and support. Coming back to the review and I am a fan of political satires – a genre that may have been invented to put forth the voice of the people. And so there was no way I was going to miss out on Humble Politician Nograj, a character which was first introduced on Radio by Danish Sait and later into a Kannada film after gaining popularity and now a fullblown webseries. But I had to watch the series on Vodafone Play which apparently did not have any English subtitles. However, I decided to take it up as a challenge and try gasping the context(which thankfully had dialogues in English and Hindi too). This is the craziest thing that I have attempted yet for Popcorn Reviewss. So then is Humble Politiciann Nograj worth your time, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Humble Politiciann Nograj follows the story of MLA Nograj who now strives to become the CM of Karnataka. The story is hilarious and a brilliant satire. If you are an observer of Indian politics then you would be able to put two and two together. Some of the events are straight up inspired from real events, ofcourse with dollops of satirical humour. The screenplay standing at 10 episodes of 30 odd minutes each may seem a bit long but it moves at a brisk pace. The humour is prevalent right from the first scene that sets the tone for the rest of the drama. What that does is that not only is the occassionally outlandish drama entertaining but you will find yourself laughing hysterically at various intervals(I did despite the language barrier).
The proceedings are so well penned that you definitely get the context of the drama instantly. The buffoonery of the protagonist along with the other ‘inspired’ characters around him will leave you in splits. The writing tries to highlight major issues in the most comic manner – be it that of politicians or the media or even a reality show. One minor drawback was that in the middle, things started to get a little repetitive. But the drama ends in a hilarious final act that I personally did thoroughly enjoy. Overall, a brilliantly penned screenplay.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
Yes, there was a small language barrier as far as the dialogues were concerned considering there were no English Subtitles(some Kannada lines may have been lost in translation). But despite that the dialogues are filled with quirky and silly one-liners which are hilarious and thoroughly enjoying. The BGM blends well with the drama, the music used in certain pop references adds to the humour quotient. Director Saad Khan is definitely able to translate some of the real events onscreen pretty well by adding dollops of humour. There is hardly a dull moment and for that the direction deserves brownie points.
Performances
The performances are quite brilliant. Shalini Narayan as Gowri is first particularly towards the end. Srivasta as Ram Rehman is hilarious and does a fabulous job. Tiku Talsania as ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’ is enjoyable to watch and I really wish to watch more of him. Disha Madan as Simi is excellent as the journo who adds to the drama(and humour). Geetanjali Kulkarni as Mrs. Dalal(no relation to me😅) is fantastic and it just amazes me how natural she is onscreen. Varun Thakur as Karan “Ahem” Kapoor is just so hilarious and he was the surprise package for me here. Prakash Belawadi as KGB is subtle in his approach that itself adds to the comic element. He is awesome in the series. But the man, the legend our Humble Politician Nograj essayed by Danish Sait is a revelation. He has an impeccable comic timing that makes you laugh hysterically more often than not. There is not a single dull moment when he is onscreen as he commands your attention. This character particularly will be remembered for times to come.
Conclusion
Humble Politiciann Nograj is a brilliant and hilarious satire that can definitely be enjoyed with a tub of Popcorn(you see what I did there😅). Available on Voot Select and Highly Recommended.
