Cast: Nana Patekar, Sanjay Kapoor, Kubbra Sait, Neeraj Kabi, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Meghna Malik, Kranti Prakash Jha and others
Duration: 10 episodes, about 45 minutes each (around 400 minutes total)
OTT Platform: Streaming from March 11 on Amazon MX Player

Whenever politics and power games are portrayed in Hindi cinema, the name of filmmaker Prakash Jha inevitably comes up. After cult films like Gangaajal and Raajneeti, and the popular OTT series Aashram, he now returns with a new series titled Sankalp, revolving around the relationship between a mentor and his disciple within the world of politics.

The series began streaming on March 11 on Amazon MX Player. One of its biggest highlights is that Nana Patekar makes his OTT debut with this show. The series draws inspiration from the principles of the ancient Indian philosopher, economist, political thinker, and strategist Chanakya.

The story revolves around a teacher and brilliant mentor who has an ambitious disciple. It explores the clash of intelligence, power, loyalty, and political strategy in the modern world. The series conveys the idea that in politics, carefully calculated decisions are more valuable than openly displaying power—and loyalty is often decided behind closed doors.

Story

The narrative primarily unfolds between Patna in Bihar and New Delhi.

The story revolves around Kanhaiyalal (Nana Patekar), popularly known as 'Maat Saab' (a local pronunciation of Master Sahib). He runs a Gurukul for talented children from underprivileged backgrounds. Maat Saab believes in nurturing talent and shaping future leaders.

For three decades, he has selected bright children from poor families in Patna and admitted them into his institution. His mission is to provide them with education and opportunities so they can rise to powerful positions—whether as IAS officers or influential figures capable of changing the system.

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After initial training in the Gurukul, these students are sent to a coaching institute in Delhi called Chanakya Coaching Center, another institution operating under Maat Saab's guidance.
Many of his students eventually become powerful bureaucrats, including Aditya (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), Vasudev (Saurabh Goyal), and Praveen (Kubbra Sait), who serve as IPS and IAS officers. All of them share deep loyalty toward their mentor. For them, Maat Saab is the force that shaped their lives, and they follow his commands without question.

An emotional and ideological conflict between teacher and disciple becomes one of the most interesting aspects of the story. Aditya, an honest police officer and Maat Saab's student, finds himself torn between loyalty to his guru and his professional ethics.

This internal conflict becomes the moral backbone of the story. When Aditya makes a mistake and refuses to repent, he soon becomes the target of Maat Saab's anger. Their confrontation gives rise to a complex narrative involving political rivalries, hidden secrets, and tensions between the central and state systems.
As the series progresses, ambition, ideology, and loyalty begin to collide. Characters are forced to make difficult decisions that blur the line between right and wrong.
Within the Gurukul, Maat Saab's right-hand man is Shankarsan (Bhavan Tiwari). His independent thinking sometimes creates turmoil inside the institution, yet he remains loyal to Maat Saab. Several events unfold that begin to raise questions about the disciples' loyalty to their mentor—questions that politicians are quick to exploit.

Meanwhile, the political environment of both Patna and Delhi continues to shape the narrative. The Chief Minister Prashant Singh (Sanjay Kapoor) and his political advisor Waqar Mapillah (Neeraj Kabi) are busy planning strategies to secure an election victory.
Their campaign promises include free Wi-Fi and free electricity—initiatives that eventually intersect with Maat Saab's world.
As political ambitions, bureaucratic loyalty, and hidden agendas collide, Maat Saab takes a 'Sankalp' (pledge)—a promise that sets the stage for the biggest confrontation in the series.

Praveen (Kubbra Sait) investigates a complex counterfeit currency scam involving a criminal named Kasturi, whose role gradually becomes significant. The narrative also touches upon student politics, a journalist with controversial footage, kidnapping cases, criminal investigations, and much more.

As the story unfolds, a fundamental question emerges:
Is Maat Saab truly creating leaders, or is he secretly building a powerful network of loyalists within the system?

Review

Prakash Jha once again demonstrates his ability to portray the harsh realities of political power. He and his writing team have crafted the entire narrative structure with Chanakya's philosophies in mind.
However, viewers familiar with Prakash Jha's earlier films may notice a sense of repetition. Certain elements even seem inspired by the political style associated with former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Each episode is quite long, and at several points the series loses momentum. The narrative sometimes feels unnecessarily stretched. In many places, tighter editing would have improved the pacing.
The storytelling often becomes slow, and occasionally the narrative appears directionless. Still, the political strategies, ideological debates, and looming conflicts manage to keep viewers engaged at times.

The series raises important questions:
Is the real power in the vote, or in the system that controls it?
Unfortunately, the climax fails to leave a strong impact.

Acting

As Kanhaiyalal, also known as Maat Saab, Nana Patekar is the soul of the series. Known for his intense acting style, he delivers a restrained yet powerful performance here. His character is calm, observant, and calculated—a man who thinks several moves ahead like an experienced chess player.
Even a subtle change in his expression often conveys more than lengthy dialogues. It would not be wrong to say that the entire series rests on Nana Patekar's shoulders.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, playing the rebellious student and thoughtful police officer Aditya Verma, delivers an impressive performance opposite Nana Patekar.
As the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sanjay Kapoor does not get much scope beyond portraying a troubled leader. Meanwhile, Neeraj Kabi, Kubbra Sait, Meghna Malik, and Kranti Prakash Jha perform their roles effectively and do justice to their characters.

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