Aashram Review (Hindi web-series)

Quite a few Hindi films in the last decade or so have tried to expose fake babas [Godmen]. The most prominent of these include OMG! Oh My God (2012) and PK (2014).

Prakash Jha’s Aashram is the first prominent or mainstream web-series to tackle this issue. But this work is different than the movies made on this subject.

The aforementioned films and few others generally present these babas as either funny, over-the-top or out-and-out evil. But the portrayal of Babaji (Bobby Deol) in Aashram is much more human and subtle. Here, the protagonist works with a calm demeanor in front of others, thereby making it easy for his followers to believe whatever he says.

Hence, Babaji appears more realistic. Apart from Jha, the credit also goes to Bobby Deol who appears in character and never overdoes, even in scenes where he shows his real face to his man Friday Bhopa, which is brilliantly portrayed by Chandan Roy Sanyal.

Although the second season of Sacred Games also showed a calm and evil character of a similar guru (played by Pankaj Tripathi), it would be difficult to compare him with Babaji since the latter works at a grass-root level and is a hero of the oppressed.

The background of this tale takes place in a lower middle-class family in Kashipur in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Pammi (Aditi Pohankar) is an aspiring wrestler whose career stands at risk after she becomes a victim of casteism. Her brother Satti (Tushar Pandey) is once severely beaten up for being a part of a wedding procession from the area dominated by people from ‘upper caste.’

The wrongdoers don’t let the doctors operate Satti until Pammi takes back the FIR (First Information Report). This is when Babaji arrives as a messiah for Satti’s family. This is enough for Pammi to become a life-long devotee of Babaji. Slowly, Satti also becomes one. They are amazed by Babaji’s enormous charity work for the poor sections of the society.

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The two are unaware that behind closed-doors, Babaji is a different person. He has big dealings with politicians, runs prostitute rackets and even gets people murdered to achieve his means.

The subtlety and reality is also seen in Jha’s handling of the subject, which plays a bigger role in achieving favorable results. He makes smart use of this format where there is plenty of scope to establish and narrate the story.

The plot has many more layers than what is mentioned in the basic plot above. Along with the aashram, the story deals a lot with crime and politics. In fact, during the first few episodes, we wonder if Babaji’s track isn’t given much footage. But this is made up in the last few episodes.

The makers have gone into very detail when it comes to showing Babaji’s aashram and its workings. The show is helped a lot by the production designing. Hence, you almost don’t blame Pammi and Satti for walking into the trap. Both actors have given natural acts. Tridha Choudhury, who plays Satti’s wife, is remarkable too.

However, the show has some flipsides too. As Babaji is the central character, it was important to show his back story. As in, how he succeeded in becoming such a Godly figure. Instead, we are hardly given a glimpse into it. Though we are clearly told that the story will continue in the second season, there should be at least some closure at the end of the season, if not providing a cliffhanger situation.

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In addition to this, the corrupt character of the cop Ujagar Singh (Darshan Kumaar) becoming a completely honest and fearless officer because of Anupriya Goenka’s character is too sudden. Having said that, both Kumaar and Goenka have provided fine acts.

Overall, Prakash Jha succeeds in throwing light on the menace of fake Godmen.

Director: Prakash Jha

Producer: Prakash Jha

Writers: Madhvi Bhatt, Sanjay Masoom, Tejpal Singh Rawat and Kuldeep Ruhil

Cast: Bobby Deol, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Aditi Pohankar, Tushar Pandey, Tridha Choudhury, Darshan Kumaar, Anupriya Goenka, Anurita Jha, Vikram Kochhar