Sankalp, streaming on Amazon MX Player, presents an innovative perspective on Indian political suspense films by showing how elections differ from the hidden methods politicians and their supporters use to gain power through educational systems and their control of institutional systems. The series, based on the Chanakya–Chandragupta legends, shows how people in modern India pursue power through familiar power battles, as actual power struggles unfold in educational environments and within human cognition.
Sankalp tells its main story through the actions of teachers and government officials rather than making politicians central characters. Ma’at Saab (Nana Patekar) is a powerful political figure who uses his strategy for the UPSC exam to help his students secure essential government positions. The concept of power emerges from this method, as it indicates that those who influence public perception through their behind-the-scenes work possess greater authority than electoral victors.
The primary story focuses on how Ma’at Saab and Aditya Verma (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) develop their mentor-mentee bond throughout the film. The relationship between them starts with trust and guidance, but evolves into an intense power struggle that shows their different belief systems. The story shows how Aditya grows from a loyal student into a defiant opponent who represents the battle between following rules and choosing personal freedom. Through this process, he tests whether real mentorship leads people to become independent or forces them to follow orders unquestioningly.
Who is in the cast?
The character Ma’at Saab in the film is portrayed by Nana Patekar, who plays him as an unyielding strategist with intelligence that people both respect and fear. The character Aditya Verma is played by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who portrays an idealistic student who challenges the existing power structure. The ideological opponents, Prashant Singh and Waqar Mapillah, deepen the conflict through their argumentative relationship. Parveen Shaikh (Kubbra Sait) uses her powerful influence to create difficulties in establishing relationships and understanding people’s true intentions. The three main themes that Sankalp establishes to guide its study of Sanskaar, Satta, and Samarpan. The show depicts classroom conflicts between two opposing forces that transform students into participants in a larger conflict. The show demonstrates political ambition through its dramatic portrayal while analysing the foundations of power, which require personal sacrifices from those who want to control their nation’s future.
As the season unfolds, Sankalp distinguishes itself as a thought-provoking and timely meditation on the true nature of power in India. By focusing on the invisible architects behind the system, it challenges audiences to reconsider where influence really lies—and who is shaping the future from the shadows.
Directed by Prakash Jha, the National Award-winning filmmaker. Sankalp is produced by Prakash Jha Productions, Jio Studios and PJP Films Productions.
Watch it on Amazon MX Player.
IWMBuzz rates it 3.5 stars.
