# Grahan
**Grahan** (Hindi for "eclipse") is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language crime drama web series directed by Ranjan Chandel, with Shailendra Jha as creator and showrunner, that adapts Satya Vyas's Hindi novel *Chaurasi* into a two-timeline story about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771) • [2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/) It was released on 24 June 2021 on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) as a Hotstar Specials title and consists of eight episodes.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere | 24 June 2021, Disney+ Hotstar (Hotstar Specials); all eight episodes released together[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771) |
| Source | Inspired by Satya Vyas's Hindi novel *Chaurasi*[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/) |
| Premise | A 1984 love story between Rishi and Manu in Bokaro, and a 2016 reinvestigation of the anti-Sikh riots by IPS officer Amrita Singh, whose father is a prime suspect[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56074/grahan) |
| Lead cast | Zoya Hussain (Amrita Singh), Pavan Malhotra (Gursewak Singh), Wamiqa Gabbi (Manu), Anshumaan Pushkar (Rishi), Teekam Joshi (Sanjay Singh)[4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984) • [5](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-gives-a-bts-look-into-what-led-to-the-hotstar-series/7574bda118259) |
| Production | Jar Pictures; producer Ajay G. Rai; cinematographer Kamaljeet Negi; music by Amit Trivedi and Daniel B. George[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771) |
| Certification | "A" (Adult 18+), with content descriptors of strong violence and strong gore[6](https://www.ibdf.com/sites/default/files/DMCRC-Decisions_0.pdf) |
| Availability | Streaming on JioHotstar in India and on Hulu in the United States[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/eclipse) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and structure
The series runs two parallel stories set three decades apart. In 1984, Rishi Ranjan (Anshumaan Pushkar), a Hindu factory worker in Bokaro in [Jharkhand](https://www.edgepedia.org/jharkhand), and Manu ([Wamiqa Gabbi](https://www.edgepedia.org/wamiqa-gabbi)), a Sikh woman, fall in love; the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence that follow destroy their world, and Rishi ends up leading a mob bent on burning the house of the woman he loves.[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/) In 2016, IPS officer [Amrita Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/amrita-singh) (Zoya Hussain), posted in Ranchi, is asked to reopen the investigation into the 1984 riots in Bokaro and discovers that her Sikh father Gursewak (Pavan Malhotra) is the prime suspect, identified as Rishi Ranjan.[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/) • [4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984)
Amrita's dilemma drives the present-day strand: she conceals her father's involvement and converts what begins as a public reconciliation exercise into a private mission, while Gursewak, who raised her in the Sikh faith, retreats into silence about his past.[4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984) The chief instigator of the Bokaro violence in the show, Sanjay Singh (Teekam Joshi), has by the present day become the main political rival of Jharkhand Chief Minister Kedar Bhagat (Satyakam Anand).[4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984) The final episode is built around a trial in which the offender accepts his guilt before a last-minute witness reveals what happened in 1984.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56074/grahan)
## Historical setting
The series is set against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, in which, following [Indira Gandhi](https://www.edgepedia.org/indira-gandhi)'s assassination by two of her Sikh security guards, Sikhs and their properties were attacked across India from 31 October to 5 November 1984.[8](https://wagtail.ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/report-of-the-justice-nanavati-commission-of-inquiry-1984-anti-sikh-riots-volumes-i-and-ii/) Bokaro is one of the places the show depicts, and it has a documented history from that period: the Ranganath Misra Commission of Inquiry, appointed on 26 April 1985, had its terms of reference extended in September 1985 to cover disturbances in Bokaro in Bihar and Kanpur in [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh), and later modified to include the Chas tehsil adjoining Bokaro.[9](https://www.carnage84.com/official/misra/intro.htm) A human rights report on the massacres records that at least 72 Sikhs were killed in Bokaro.[10](https://1984sikh-archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20years-2nd.pdf)
## Production
Director Ranjan Chandel said he had wanted to adapt *Chaurasi* into a film before producer [Ajay Rai](https://www.edgepedia.org/ajay-rai) acquired the novel's rights and brought him the project; he described the experience by saying "it's the story that chose me".[11](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/cinema/2021/Jul/14/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-talks-about-the-series-and-more-34713.html) The series took one year to make, with shooting from October to December 2020.[11](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/cinema/2021/Jul/14/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-talks-about-the-series-and-more-34713.html) Chandel said the adaptation removed about fifty percent of the book and developed the remaining half, and that casting favored actors close to their characters: Anshumaan Pushkar comes from Bihar and knows the dialect, Wamiqa Gabbi is from Punjab, and Zoya Hussain, whom he had directed in *Mukkabaaz* (2017), was his first and only choice for Amrita.[11](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/cinema/2021/Jul/14/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-talks-about-the-series-and-more-34713.html) • [12](https://www.spotboye.com/amp/bollywood/Bollywood-interviews/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-zoya-hussain-was-my-first-and-only-choice-exclusive/60e1bd9ac22b2417f3f9372f)
Music director [Amit Trivedi](https://www.edgepedia.org/amit-trivedi) and lyricist Varun Grover created two songs for the series.[13](https://www.genesisdevelopersholdings.com/resource/image/Newspaper_clip_Result_quater_June_2021.pdf) The writing credits include Karan Anshuman, Anu Singh Choudhary, Navjot Gulati, Shailendra Jha, Prateek Payodhi, Vibha Singh, and Ranjan Chandel.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771)
## Controversy
The show drew objections before and shortly after release. A boycott trend circulated on social media a few days before the premiere, which Chandel said he did not view with apprehension because he approached the material through the personal stories of Rishi and Manu and of Amrita and her father rather than as a political stand.[12](https://www.spotboye.com/amp/bollywood/Bollywood-interviews/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-zoya-hussain-was-my-first-and-only-choice-exclusive/60e1bd9ac22b2417f3f9372f) The president of the [Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee](https://www.edgepedia.org/shiromani-gurdwara-parbandhak-committee), Bibi Jagir Kaur, criticized the series for portraying a Sikh character in an objectionable manner after the trailer's release.[5](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-gives-a-bts-look-into-what-led-to-the-hotstar-series/7574bda118259) A formal appeal against the trailer, filed with the Digital Media Content Regulatory Council on 22 June 2021, argued that showing a turbaned Sikh man involved in looting and arson set a false narrative of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence; the council took up the appeal on 6 July 2021, chaired by retired Justice Vikramajit Sen.[6](https://www.ibdf.com/sites/default/files/DMCRC-Decisions_0.pdf)
## Reception
Indian reviews were mixed to positive. The Times of India gave the season 3.5 out of 5, calling it a sensitively handled period drama with believable characters.[14](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/grahan/grahan-season-1/amp_seasonreview/83596031.cms) OTTplay rated it 3 out of 5, praising the interlinked timelines while noting slow pacing in the middle episodes.[15](https://www.ottplay.com/review/grahan-review-an-actionthriller-that-interlinks-stories-from-two-different-eras/859) NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee gave 2.5 out of 5, crediting [Pavan Malhotra](https://www.edgepedia.org/pavan-malhotra) with a perfectly modulated performance but finding the narrative flow uneven.[16](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/grahan-review-cautionary-tale-is-recommended-for-its-humanist-core-2-5-stars-out-of-5-2471956) Scroll.in called the series a sincere but unwieldy effort, criticizing the stretched investigation and the writing of the lead character while acknowledging its spotlight on the deliberate targeting of Sikhs in 1984.[4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) highlighted the 1980s romance between Pushkar and Gabbi as the show's strongest element and noted its references to casteism, sexism, and poverty.[2](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/) On JustWatch the series holds an IMDb rating of 8.7.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/eclipse)
NDTV described Grahan as the first series to deal with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.[16](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/grahan-review-cautionary-tale-is-recommended-for-its-humanist-core-2-5-stars-out-of-5-2471956) Scroll.in compared its territory to [Shonali Bose](https://www.edgepedia.org/shonali-bose)'s debut feature *Amu* (2005), which also revisited the anti-Sikh violence of 1984.[4](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984)
## Distribution
After its Disney+ Hotstar release, the series became available on JioHotstar following the platform's merger, and it streams in the United States on Hulu through the Hotstar arrangement; it is also offered free with ads on JioHotstar in India.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/eclipse) The series is listed with an average episode runtime of about 43 to 47 minutes.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/eclipse) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56074/grahan)
## References
1. [Grahan Web Series (2021), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/grahan-web-series-104771)
2. [Grahan review: An impactful series that finds resonance in today's India, The Indian Express (24 June 2021)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/grahan-review-an-impactful-drama-that-finds-resonance-in-india-of-today-7372692/)
3. [Grahan, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56074/grahan)
4. ['Grahan' review: A sincere but unwieldly effort to revisit the anti-Sikh violence of 1984, Scroll.in (24 June 2021)](https://scroll.in/reel/998237/grahan-review-a-sincere-but-unwieldly-effort-to-revisit-the-anti-sikh-violence-of-1984)
5. [Grahan: Director Ranjan Chandel gives a BTS look into what led to the Hotstar series, OTTplay (13 July 2021)](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/news/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-gives-a-bts-look-into-what-led-to-the-hotstar-series/7574bda118259)
6. [Digital Media Content Regulatory Council, Appeal No. DMCRC/0001/2021, IBDF](https://www.ibdf.com/sites/default/files/DMCRC-Decisions_0.pdf)
7. [Grahan (2021), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/eclipse)
8. [Report of the Justice Nanavati Commission of Inquiry (1984 Anti-Sikh Riots), Rural India Online](https://wagtail.ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/report-of-the-justice-nanavati-commission-of-inquiry-1984-anti-sikh-riots-volumes-i-and-ii/)
9. [Misra Commission Report, Introduction, carnage84.com](https://www.carnage84.com/official/misra/intro.htm)
10. [Twenty Years of Impunity: The November 1984 Pogroms of Sikhs in India, 1984 Sikh Archive](https://1984sikh-archive.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/20years-2nd.pdf)
11. ['The story chose me': Ranjan Chandel on making the web series Grahan, Indulge Express (14 July 2021)](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/cinema/2021/Jul/14/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-talks-about-the-series-and-more-34713.html)
12. [Grahan Director Ranjan Chandel: Zoya Hussain Was My First And Only Choice, SpotboyE](https://www.spotboye.com/amp/bollywood/Bollywood-interviews/grahan-director-ranjan-chandel-zoya-hussain-was-my-first-and-only-choice-exclusive/60e1bd9ac22b2417f3f9372f)
13. [Amit Trivedi, Varun Grover team up for Grahan, newspaper clipping (August 2021)](https://www.genesisdevelopersholdings.com/resource/image/Newspaper_clip_Result_quater_June_2021.pdf)
14. [Grahan Season 1 Review: A sensitively handled period drama with compassion, The Times of India (24 June 2021)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/grahan/grahan-season-1/amp_seasonreview/83596031.cms)
15. [Grahan review: An action-thriller show that interlinks stories from two different eras, OTTplay (24 June 2021)](https://www.ottplay.com/review/grahan-review-an-actionthriller-that-interlinks-stories-from-two-different-eras/859)
16. [Grahan Review: Cautionary Tale Is Recommended For Its Humanist Core, NDTV (25 June 2021)](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/grahan-review-cautionary-tale-is-recommended-for-its-humanist-core-2-5-stars-out-of-5-2471956)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › Hindi serials and Indian Hindi-language dramas › Crime and thriller serials*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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