In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, acclaimed filmmaker Ram Madhvani opens up about his latest project, The Waking of a Nation, a gripping exploration of colonialism, racism and the events leading up to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. He delves into the meticulous research that shaped the series, the fine line between fact and fiction
Tejal Sinha
Ram Madhvani is no stranger to powerful storytelling. The director behind Neerja, Aarya and Dhamaka has always chosen stories that are more than just narratives—they are statements, questions and reflections on the world we live in. Storytelling, for him, has never been just about entertainment—it has always been about making a statement.
With his latest project, The Waking of a Nation, he delves into one of India’s most painful historical moments—the Jallianwala Bagh massacre—but through a lens that goes beyond just the incident itself.
“This story isn’t just about the massacre. It’s about the colour of our skin, white superiority and the burden the British felt they had to ‘civilize’ us. It is about racism, prejudice, and colonialism. That’s what really drew me to bringing this to the screen.”
While many are familiar with the brutality of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, Madhvani was particularly interested in what led up to it and what followed. The series explores the Hunter Commission (then called the Punjab Disorders Committee), which was formed to investigate the events and the larger conspiracy surrounding British rule in India.
Writing The Waking of a Nation was a deeply research-intensive process. It took Madhvani and his co-writers, Shantanu Shrivastava and Chadhujjit Nath, three years to develop the script. “Everything we referenced is in the public domain,” he says, adding that while the series is inspired by true events, it is ultimately historical fiction. “We’ve made it clear upfront that this is inspired by true events, unlike Neerja, which was based on a real-life person. Many elements in the show—like the diaries, the characters, the broader incidents—are based on reality, but a lot of it is fictional.”
He describes the storytelling approach as faction—a term borrowed from the New Journalism movement of the 1970s, where fiction meets fact to create compelling narratives. The series follows a fictional protagonist, Kantilal, played by Taaruk Raina, whose personal transformation mirrors the larger awakening of a colonised nation.
“Kantilal starts as someone who is deeply influenced by British ideals, wearing suits, speaking English and believing in the empire. His journey is about shedding that blindfold—which is why, in our poster, we have a blindfold made of the Union Jack. That’s what the show is about: realizing the truth about colonial rule.”
A consistent element in Madhvani’s work is the presence of strong, well-rounded female characters. From Sonam Kapoor in Neerja to Sushmita Sen in Aarya and Mrunal Thakur in Dhamaka, his films and series have frequently featured women who defy stereotypes.
“I don’t sit down and think, ‘Let me craft a strong female character,’” he clarifies. “I think about the person first—do I feel for their struggle? Do I care about their journey? Their gender then shapes their experience, but I always start with their internal conflict.”
In The Waking of a Nation, Nikita Dutta plays Poonam, a woman who, much like other female characters in Madhvani’s films, isn’t defined by stereotypes but by her resilience. He credits the strong women in his own life—his mother, wife (and co-producer) Amita Madhvani, and many of his female colleagues—for shaping the way he writes female characters.
His admiration for Sonam Kapoor in Neerja is evident. “She gave herself completely to that role. She went through workshops, met Neerja Bhanot’s family and trained as an air hostess to truly understand the character. Meeting Neerja’s mother, Rama Bhanot, was a moment I’ll never forget. That family’s strength in overcoming their loss was incredibly moving.”
Unlike Aarya, which was commissioned by Hotstar, The Waking of a Nation wasn’t initially backed by a platform. It was developed independently by Ram Madhvani Films and only after the script was completed did the team approach Sony LIV.
“Saugata Mukherjee and the team at Sony LIV were incredibly supportive. They didn’t just commission the project blindly—they read it, understood the vision and greenlit it after seeing the depth of the story. I’m grateful for the creative freedom they gave us, from casting to production.”
Now that the series is gaining much appreciation, Madhvani is looking forward to a creative shift.
“I want to make a full-blown masala commercial Hindi film next,” he laughs. “Something completely different. I’ve spent years working on these emotionally and narratively intense projects and I’m excited about the idea of doing something fun, over-the-top and purely entertaining.”
But even as he considers the mainstream, he is also deeply intrigued by the future of cinema. Having just completed a short film in Virtual Reality (VR), Madhvani is exploring how AI and emerging technologies could reshape storytelling in the coming years.
“At the core, storytelling doesn’t change. But the way we experience it will. Whether it’s VR, AI, or other innovations, we’re going to see a new cinematic language emerge and I want to be part of that evolution.”
As always, Madhvani’s focus remains on telling stories that matter. With The Waking of a Nation, he hopes audiences walk away with a deeper understanding of history—not just of colonialism, but of how narratives are shaped and controlled.
“Colonialism wasn’t just about taking our land,” he says. “It was about controlling our minds. And that’s what we need to wake up to.”
