The Waking of a Nation

While The Waking of a Nation is largely about the Indian struggle for justice, it wouldn't have been as impactful without the actors who portrayed the British figures responsible for the massacre and its cover-up. Alex Reece as General Dyer, Carl Wharton as Lord William Hunter, and Paul McEwan as Michael O'Dwyer play their roles with chilling conviction, making the injustice feel even more real.

Alex Reece's portrayal of General Dyer is particularly striking. He embodies the cold ruthlessness of a man who believed he was simply carrying out his duty, making him all the more terrifying. He doesn't play Dyer as a loud, over-the-top villain but rather as someone disturbingly calm in his cruelty. His presence in the massacre scene is haunting, and his lack of remorse in the aftermath is infuriating.

Carl Wharton as Lord William Hunter brings a more controlled yet equally unsettling energy. As the head of the Hunter Commission, his character pretends to seek justice but is ultimately just another tool for the British administration to manipulate the narrative. His exchanges with Kantilal Sahni highlight the deep-rooted racism of the colonial system, where justice was never truly meant for Indians.

Paul McEwan's Michael O'Dwyer is arguably the most sinister of them all. Unlike Dyer, who pulled the trigger, O'Dwyer is the mastermind who ensured that the British Raj stayed in control through fear and suppression. His manipulative nature makes him one of the most frustrating characters to watch, yet his presence is crucial to understanding how the British system operated.

The brilliance of these performances lies in their restraint. None of them play exaggerated villains, yet their mere presence fills every scene with unease. Their performances make the viewer angry, frustrated, and heartbroken-all the emotions a series like this should evoke. The Waking of a Nation wouldn't be as powerful without them, and that's what makes their portrayals so essential to the story.

Most shows about historical events focus on the big moments, but this one is different. It's not just about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre-it's about the tensions that led to it, the people who tried to stop it, and the system that covered it up afterward. That's what makes it so gripping.

Kantilal Sahni is such an interesting character because he starts off believing in the system. He thinks the Hunter Commission is there to find the truth. But as he listens to testimonies and sees how the British manipulate the investigation, he realises he's part of something much bigger-and much more dangerous. Watching his moral struggle unfold makes the story feel incredibly real.

The courtroom debates are some of the best moments in the series. The arguments, the frustration, the moments where you can see the truth slipping through the cracks-it's all so well done. The production quality is top-notch, from the costumes to the historical details that make colonial India feel alive.

It's rare to find a historical drama that feels this immersive. This isn't just about remembering history-it's about understanding how it was shaped.

The most powerful thing about this series is how it makes you feel the weight of history, not just as an event but as something shaped by those in power. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is often remembered as a single moment, but this show digs deeper, exposing the political tensions and motivations that led to it.

Kantilal Sahni's role as a member of the Hunter Commission adds so much depth to the story. He isn't a freedom fighter or an activist, he is just a man doing his job-until he realises that the job isn't about truth, it's about control. His slow realisation that justice isn't the goal, but rather the justification of power, is what makes this series so compelling.

The courtroom sequences are some of the best I've seen in a historical drama. The performances are gripping, making you feel the frustration of seeing history being rewritten right in front of you. The massacre itself is portrayed with restraint, not for shock value but as a moment that shifts the course of the story entirely.

This series doesn't just tell you what happened, it makes you feel the helplessness, the anger, and the resistance that followed.

Anwar Says: An event JALIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE at Amritsar and the name of General Dyer is synonymous with it and here the director Ram Madhwani tried to expose the real conspiracy and bring into light the truth through Courtroom scenes of Hunter Commission appointed by the then British Empire . The fictional character Kantilal Sahni is loosely taken from the advocate Sir Chimanlal Hiralal Setalvad , who cross-examined Dyer and so Madhvani rubs off TRUE EVENTS after writing in the openings of WAKING OF A NATION ,streaming on sonyliv.

Kanti , played by Taaruk Raina, is present in almost 95% of the frames and keep on narrating the facts with his monologues and series of flashbacks. Here is the problems with the webseries . So many time frames are used in flashbacks, courtroom lacks intensity and many a times repetitive. But the sets , actual British characters and in particular depiction of massacre through sound engineering and let you visualise the scene are the features of Madhvani creation. Nikita Dutta has also played her role superb as Munshi of publishing house.

The series will definitely appeal the History loving audience, since this would add some depth to their knowledge of Freedom Movement and for common audiences it is definitely an interesting watch in spite of some of its shortcomings.

#SonyLIV #anwarsays #FreedomMovement #jalianwalabagh #GeneralDyer #amritsar #RamMadhvani #taarukraina #huntercommission #rowlettact.

I accept the cinematic inaccuracies that have been pointed out in many reviews of this movie. I too did get bored with the movie dragging so much. However, I would like to highlight that the incident described in the movie happened more than a 100 years ago and in these years no director had the will and courage to enlighten us on the reality. All Indians have only heard of and criminalized General Dyer in our heads. Had it not been for movies like Sardar Udam and this one, our youth would still be behind the veil. So I would encourage all to see this movie as it is really an eye opener........