Disney+ Hotstar, as a streaming giant, is on a roll, releasing back-to-back web series with interesting stories. The Freelancer last month was an interesting tale of Indian mercenaries. We also had another addition to the Commando series directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, which was about a soldier who carried out a daring solo mission to extract his colleague from a prison in the neighboring country. Aakhri Sach, a police crime drama based on the Burari deaths, was a decent adaptation of the real-life incident. These shows restored viewers’ faith in the streaming giant, for they could see and enjoy diverse content on it. Milan Luthria’s Sultan of Delhi is yet another addition to this long list of television shows that expands the channel’s portfolio.
Spoilers Ahead
Story And Plot
Sultan of Delhi‘s trailer established that the beginning of the show would be about the partition of the subcontinent, which led to the formation of two countries, India and Pakistan. The story will focus not just on the atrocities faced by two religious communities as a result of the displacement, but it will also discuss in detail the refugee camps in which many young kids were raised who eventually became citizens of the country. The partition is a dirty part of the subcontinent’s history, and many do not want to talk about the trauma caused by the aftermath. People on both sides of the nation lost a part of themselves that could not be healed for years. There have been leaders from both countries whose ancestral towns lie across the border. The horrors of partition will be the underlying theme, as many had to start their businesses from scratch because they left a huge fortune while on the other side of the border.
The trailer of Sultan of Delhi also focuses on 20-year-old independent India as it moves towards progress and possibly the first war with Pakistan. There is a barrage of legal and illegal businesses in the capital city that are flourishing, and many are seeking to be a tiny part of it. There is no mention of how the lead antagonist and the protagonist would be part of it. Maybe the makers were not keen on giving away the key ingredients that will make all the difference once the series is viewed in its entirety.
There are scenes of vast, dry lands, which are a contrast to the hustling and bustling New Delhi. It will be interesting to watch why the lead and his sidekick will be traveling back and forth between two states, and there will be a lot that will be unearthed about the business and the contacts everyone made on the way to sustaining their friendship. This was not about two religions clashing but about individuals who wanted to establish their power and usurp the throne. There are only two people eventually who fight for the seat in the hope of regaining political status, but fate and destiny are twisted entities, and only a few might be capable enough to sustain their power.
There was also a mention of a bar dancer, as she will be showcased as having an interest in one of them. There could be a tug of war between two groups to become the next sultan to Delhi, and explain what holding these titles would mean to many here. The seductive woman is painted as a femme fatale, who goes out of her way to make sure the protagonist of her choice stays under her influence. The viewers will be hoping to see romance, drama, and action in this show, which will be crucial to understanding the historical stance as Pakistan and India are headed towards war.
Cast And Characters
Tahir Raj Bhasin is an excellent actor, and his casting will create a lot of noise because they have seen him being the evil man in Mardaani and taking up many comedic roles. It will be interesting to watch Tahir being given a lead character who, by the looks of it, has many gray characteristics. Tahir Raj Bhasin, as an actor, has many miles to go to become an established and respected actor. It seems like a gamble the producers took, and the trailer cut finally looks good.
Nishant Dahiya is yet another charming addition who we believe will bring a lot of suaveness and style into this equation. Nishant was excellent in the film 83, and his surprisingly good performance in Raat Akeli Hai made him the right choice for this role. We wonder what role his character must play to remain in the syndicate of illegal businesses.
Mouni Roy is the queen of Indian television, and the viewers get to see her perform with a lot of the finesse which landed her a role in Brahmastra. She is a wonderful actress, and we hope her role as a bar dancer will serve as something that will benefit her.
Vinay Pathak is yet another actor who is a part of this show, and as shown in the trailer, we are guessing he’s going to deliver a top-notch performance. There is not much revealed about his character, but it is assumed that he would be a certain type of businessman that many would benefit from.
Anupriya Goenka happens to be the character in the show who will be the puppeteer and the star/diva with a lot of confidence. She might be the Mata Hari-style femme fatale, who will be making a lot of decisions regarding the state and central decisions just by using her charm, something Nishant Dahiya’s character will be a fan of. Only time will tell if this femme fatale is up to something.
Suparn Verma was instrumental in presenting Raya Donovan in India as Rana Naidu, and it opened with rave reviews. As a prominent writer and director in the industry, he has delivered decent writing to many movies and television shows. Suparn brings on board plenty of experience that probably helped carve a character played by Tahir Raj Bhasin.
Milan Luthria is the veteran who has time and again delivered classics like Taxi No. 9211 and The Dirty Picture. These movies gained a lot of traction, which made it obvious for the streaming giant to choose a man who has plenty of experience in creating stories around period pieces and bringing back some nostalgia with them.
Where To Watch
Sultan of Delhi is a nine-episode series based on the book by Arnab Ray titled Sultan of Delhi: Ascension. Each episode is bound to have 30 to 40 minutes of run time and will be streaming on Disney+ Hotstar starting October 13, 2023. There were a lot of topics that would be covered, and the trailer made sure they remained ambiguous.
