Aashram, a series about a conman in the garb of a godman, introduces Baba Nirala (Bobby Deol) like a superstar in a masala film. A hospital is under siege by some upper caste hooligans to delay the treatment of a Dalit who they had beaten up. Baba Nirala walks into the hospital with much fanfare and proves he is no ordinary peaceloving, aashirwad-giving, docile- natured ascetic. In fact, he is a literal ball-buster who manages to wring out justice from those hooligans.
Over the next nine episodes, we see how Baba’s projection as the one true saviour has obviously nefarious purposes. Aashram takes its time to talk about how a circle of trust is built around such controversial figures, and how this power structure is interlinked with politics. It is a neat move to model Babaji around more than one notorious real-life godman. Aashram is also about inherent casteism.
That is why, more than the colourful life of Baba Nirala, it is Darshan Kumaar’s Ujagar Singh who is the mo conflicted character in the series. Ujagar is the cop who advises the Dalit to not file a case of attempted murder against the upper caste hooligans. Initially, he has no qualms in dancing to the tune of his seniors, who want the case closed due to political influence. But soon, he has a change of heart because he falls in love (at first sight, no less) with Dr Natasha who wants to get to the bottom of the case.
The world doesn’t exist in binaries, and Aashram is all about grey areas. Baba is a man who tells Pammi (Aaditi Pohankar), a runaway wannabe sadhvi, to go back home and be with her parents. Baba also runs charitable schools, colleges and hospitals. On the other hand, he forces his followers to undergo a ‘purification’ process. Prakash Jha has dealt with such controversial topics before, but skirts around such themes to avoid too many cuts.
When we are finally left with Baba Nirala sitting at his ashram overlooking a lake and meditating, we want to know more. How did Monty become Baba Nirala? Why does Baba have nightmares about a dead girl? Aashram might be shrouded with unending controversies, but what determines the success of a web series is its binge-worthiness. On that count, Aashram is a sure winner.