Sonal Pandya
Mumbai, 06 Jan 2022 12:03 IST
Created by actor-writer Danish Sait, the Voot Select web-series borrows from real-world scenarios to make a scathing statement about how state governments are formed and retain power.
The year’s first web-series, Humble Politiciann Nograj (2022), begins with mentions of Sacred Games (2018) and the Avengers. Self-aware, and packed with pop-culture references, it establishes itself from the get-go as a politically incorrect satire. Danish Sait reprises his role as the wise-cracking titular politician who burst on the big screen in the feature film Humble Politician Nograj (2018).
This time the stakes are much higher for the Karnataka-based 'leader' and his outfit, the One Big Party (OBP), which is eyeing the chief minister’s chair. The party manage to win only 36 of the state's 224 assembly seats. But it emerges the kingmaker as its rivals, the Most Secular Party (MSP) — led by Krishna Gundu Bala aka KGB (Prakash Belawadi) — and the Family Run Party (FRP), which is led by state president Pushpesh (Shivakumar Aradhya), manage to bag 111 and 77 seats respectively.
A political coalition is the only way forward. Nograj, who prefixes his name with the oxymoronic title ‘Humble Politician’, plots and schemes with his harassed but dedicated personal assistant Manjunath (Vijay Chendoor) to make sure he and his party figure in the larger picture. First, they consult an octopus oracle and later unite with the Family Run Party to form a coalition.
Over ten episodes, Nograj conspires to make sure he stays one step ahead of the power-hungry KGB who is always at his heels. The OBP-FRP alliance needs just one member to come to power, while the MSP needs three to reach the magic number of majority, 114. Our hero and Manjunath herd the coalition members via a bus guarded by commandos to the Illegal-Ton Resort, where they cannot be bought by the MSP, or so Nograj thinks.
The zany gang does everything but serve the public while holed up at the resort from hosting a fancy dress ball where politicians dress up as Darth Vader, the Joker, the Hulk and Mother Teresa. Nograj dresses as Hitler, no irony there, and when he is called a dictator, he proclaims, “Hitler loved cows!”
The coalition rests on three party members, helpfully named Manjay, Sanjay and Dhananjay, who find themselves cynically used by their leaders to establish their majority. The series also depicts the tussle between state party presidents and their national counterparts to ensure that their respective candidate gets the chief minister’s seat. This leads to many hilarious situations where the MSP national president Mrs Dalal (Geetanjali Kulkarni) is vexed with KGB as he misunderstands almost everything she says.
The Family Run Party is led on the national level by Karan Kapoor (Varun Thakur), whose family has been dominating the political scene for decades; no prizes for guessing who this is based on. The clueless ‘youth’ leader has no idea about state affairs and is more interested in trending on TikTok. While they all look to the prime minister (Tiku Talsania) for guidance, he is out seeking adventure in the Amazon or belly-dancing in Saudi Arabia. Anything, but actually steering the ship of state.
The Kannada series thankfully has many dialogues in English and Hindi, and plenty of references to 1990s Hindi songs. Writer-director Saad Khan and Sait keep things relatable as most of the scenarios seemed ripped from the headlines. A hung assembly, abducted MLAs, internet cells, floor tests, and governor’s rule – all these elements are not unfamiliar to the common man.
Then there is the fourth estate, represented by Simi Naveen (Disha Madan) of the Paid News TV channel who only chases ratings while covering this comic spectacle. The series deviates and grows less interesting when it pivots to a B-plot involving Russian drug lords and KGB’s inept 22-year-old son Ram Rehman (Srivatsa S). But once it returns to the Karnataka legislative assembly, it resets itself.
Sait knows the character like the back of his hand and induces such a strong fondness for this self-obsessed, corrupt and impatient man-child that is impossible to completely hate him. His constant banter with Manjunath (the always-game Chendoor) is entertaining even when he’s berating his poor man Friday, who might be the closest friend he has.
Like Sait, Belawadi gives into the strangeness of KGB who has his heart set on becoming the CM at any cost. His struggles to communicate in Hindi and insatiable lust for power are a hoot to watch. The rest of the cast, from Varun Thakur to Tiku Talsania, don't shy away from weirdness especially when the script calls upon them to behave very badly. Their antics left me in splits more than once.
Humble Politiciann Nograj is a tad long at ten episodes, but Sait and company keep the gag going. They are self-absorbed, power-hungry and completely unethical but left me wanting to know what happens next. After all, there's always the national elections!
Humble Politciann Nograj is being streamed on Voot Select.
Check out the trailer here