Sena - Guardians Of The Nation (Season 1)
Introduction
It is interesting how the emotional core of the new Hindi show Sena – Guardians Of The Nation, remains eerily similar to TVF’s other release Court Kacheri. At its core, both these shows have a father and son dynamic that grounds the drama in reality. But the starting point of the two protagonists Kartik (Vikram Singh Chauhan) in Sena and Param (Ashish Verma) in Court Kacheri is drastically different. You see Kartik being a little more assured of himself, so much so that he is willing to leave his high-pay job in the US which he got after being an IIT graduate, in order to serve the army. It is unlike Param who discreetly wishes to deviate from his job of a lawyer by opting for a fake degree or migrating to another country for better pastures. Interestingly, the emotional obstacle of each of the two characters is their father – in case of Kartik, it is Deendayal (Yashpal Sharma) who doesn’t warm up to his decision given how he fears losing his only son to the country. Deendayal is unlike Harish Mathur (Pawan Malhotra) from Court Kacheri who shares a cordial and a warm bond with his son. You see that the communication medium between Kartik and Deendayal not severely damaged, even as the latter opts to occasionally make ‘Alu-Gobi’ for him. But the generic dynamic of the lack of expressiveness often plagues their relationship, something that is tested when Kartik comes to a consensus about his recent ‘career switch’.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Anandeshwar Dwivedi, Arurabh Kumar, Abhinav Anand and Vishwajeet Pratap Singh, Sena offers two parallel storylines – one with a flashback featuring Kartik and his tryst with the Indian Army prompting him to take up the profession (which he terms as a ‘responsibility’), and the other in the current timeline involving Kartik’s tryst with the terrorists who have kidnapped him and his father. In fact, the cold open does set the ball rolling with a tense but riveting sequence that begins with an ambuish and ends in the subsequent kidnap. It does enough to highlight the unpredictability of the life of an army officer or Jawan in the wake of the attacks imposed on them by external fragments. But interestingly, the thread connecting the past and the present is that of Kartik’s father Deendayal, almost doubling as an internal conflict of a guilt-ridden Kartik in the wake of the events that have already transpired with respect to his father. But nothing before the nation as they say, making the show here oscillate between a survival drama and a coming of age story.
In a scene where you witness Kartik participating in an SSB interview, he admittedly says that he has lied in one of the answers. He regrets going against his father but doesn’t regret his decision, something that the core of the show wishes to tap in. It is a more believable form of the same sentiment that was presented tackily in a film like War 2 (2025). But from a template point of view, the show here is a deconstructed take on the Hindi film Lakshya (2004), wherein Kartik’s character can be modelled on Karan Shergill (Hrithik Roshan) – from the perspective of his tryst with the army. Yes, Karan and Kartik are two distinctly different characters – one being callous and carefree in life, while the other is focused in what he wants to achieve. And yet the end goal between both the characters is similar – of adapting to the army life and eliminating the enemy. Also, the training montage does draw parallels from Lakshya too, featuring the journey of an underdog who is trained to overcome obstacles while embracing his coming of age trait. The motto of one for all and all for one stands out, something that highlights the compassion and energy of the Indian Army.
The proceedings are deeply uplifting but also searing with raw intensity even as the drama bifurcates into the training mode for Kartik. But amidst this, the emotional core of the drama is intact with parallels highlighting the dynamics of Kartik and his father. In an emotional scene, you see Kartik helping his father climb a tree in a similar manner as his father had helped in im his childhood. The motivated poetry that Kartik recites for his tired father, also draws tropes from his childhood. And so, much of the survival journey goes hand in hand with a father-son montage, given the precious time that the two characters spend with each other, even as the rescue ops are in place.
The one area that the writing lacks is in the establishment of a powerful antagonist. Yes, there are characters like Hamza (Rahul Tewari) and Masood (Rizwan Kalshyan) who threaten to sizzle but the impact is clearly not as verocious as it ought to have been. Luckily, the emotional core as far as a father-son dynamic is concerned, coupled with the coming of age story of Kartik that drives the narrative ahead. This is true even for a late vengeance subplot that stems out of a deep emotional core, that overrides the drama’s minor shortcoming of going from zero to one-hundred in a matter of a few scenes, as opposed to slowing things downs and reflecting on the key establishments connecting to the ultimate destination. I also liked the Chekhof’s gun technique implied to circle back to a couple of characters at the end, leading to a violent but deeply resounding finale that makes for a solid impact. And this sums up the screenplay that boasts of more positives than negatives, thereby making for a solid watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues maintain a strong balance between being powerful and motivating, while also maintaining the emotional core of the drama. There are several motivational one-liners to be consumed along the course of the drama. The music and BGM go well with the theme of the show, subtly elevating the drama at several places, including the ones involving combat. But the X factor for me was the sound design – be it the hustle of the leaves or the sound of gunshots that add a layer of authenticity to the drama. The sudden-ness of the sound design in the midst of silence remains one of the unsung aspects of the drama. The cinematography is excellent (given the budget of the show), with some great use of lighting to propel the impact of several scenes. In fact, this remains a consistent trait – with the use of daylight to represent rosier times in the life of Kartik, only for darker shades to enter in times of travesty or a tragedy. A beautiful shot showing a character lying in the lap of another against the backdrop of the setting sun, is a metaphor in itself that comes at a crucial stage in the drama.
The editing is sharp but at times too sharp, always willing to go from one incident to another as opposed to pausing for a moment of retrospection. But this remains a minor criticism in the larger scheme of things, even as the show remains thoroughly bingeable. Director Abhinav Anand definitely makes a mark with his solid world building and characterization, while always being assured on the emotional core that he intends to tap into. There is a sensitive side to the drama while depicting the father-son dynamic, something that will be relatable to most boys. But the director switches gears by amping up the intensity without shying away from blood or gore, thereby allowing the drama to be balanced and thoroughly searing.
Performances
The performances are pretty good by the members of the cast. Shyam Sharma as David and Col Rajeev Bharwan as Mumma Sir are sincere and manage to leave a mark. Shreya Singh as the news anchor has her moments to shine. Shirley Setia as Bhavya has a good screen presence despite a character that reduces her to the fringes. Anandeshwar Dwivedi as Biswanath Panda, Vijay Vikram Singh as Brig. VK Singh and Anupam Bhattacharya as Col. Manoj Pandey are competent and make their presence felt in subtly powerful performance that definitely leave a mark. Rizwan Kalshyan as Masood and Rahul Tewari as Hamza are moderately threatening characters that needed a little more fizz to have an impact from a writing standpoint. But their individual performances are pretty good to witness. Neelu Dogra as Vidya is understated and makes for a sincere act.
Yashpal Sharma as Deendayal is an epitome of every father and the psyche towards their son, but also being less expressive in showcasing love. In that regard, the communication gap with a bout of hesitance that is showcased, is wonderful to witness. And he does a superb job here in holding onto the emotional core of his character. Vikram Singh Chauhan as Kartik is exceptional here (minus a few continuity issues of his character’s look), almost matching the beats of his character with the intensity of his body language. While he scores with the emotional core of his character, he brings a raw intensity to the character of a soldier that later transforms into a bout of vengeance, that adds to the powerful nature of the proceedings. His screen presence is dynamic while he puts forth a commendable performance!
Conclusion
The first season of Sena – Guardians Of The Nation is a heartfelt father-son story told against the backdrop of a searing army drama that makes for a solid watch. Available on Amazon MX Player.