Real Life Characters On Whom Jubilee (Amazon Prime) Is Based On

Amazon Prime Video's web series - Jubilee which is based on the Bollywood scene in its infancy in 40's India has caught the interest of Indian audiences. It has received some good reviews from critics, while a few criticized its pace. Nonetheless, it is a well-researched web series that seems to be inspired by several real-life Bollywood celebs from the 40's. It's clearly a case of art imitating life. We were definitely delighted by all the trivia that this web series gave us.

But a lot of our readers are asking about the identity of the real-life characters this show is based on.

Here are our guesses about the identity of the real-life celebs the show seems to be inspired from

Srikant Roy - Himanshu Rai

Prosenjit plays Srikant Roy - a studio boss in pre-independence India. This character seems to be inspired by Himanshu Rai - the studio boss of Bombay Talkies.  Srikant is shown to be a ruthless businessman who loves his money & studio above everything else, including his wife. He is also shown to be a ladies man fond of sleeping with young women & married women alike. We couldn't find literature to ascertain whether Mr. Himashu Rai was a womanizer.

Sumitra Roy - Devika Rani

Aditi Rao Hydari plays Srikant Roy's wife, actress & co-owner of the studio - Sumitra Roy. This character clearly seems to be inspired by Devika Rani. One of India's first actresses - Devika Rani was a big star in the 40's & starred in many of her husband's films. She eloped with her co-star Najam ul Hassan during the making of their movie leaving a distraught Himanshu Rai. This has been shown in the web series as well. 

Jamshed Khan - Najam Ul Hassan

Nandish Singh Sandhu plays Jamshed Khan. A character that seems to be inspired by Najam Ul Hassan the handsome hero of Devika Rani who eloped with her. It is said that Himanshu Rai forgave Devika & took her back but sacked Najam Ul Hassan who vanished from the industry. Unlike what is shown in the web series we don;t think Najam was killed. Najam's sacking led to the birth of a new actor - Himanshu Rai's lab assistant - Kumudlal Ganguly AKA Ashok Kumar

Madan Kumar - Ashok Kumar

Aparshakti Khurana plays Madan Kumar aka Binod Das. He is Himanshu Rai's loyal lab assistant & an aspiring actor. Like in the web series Ashok Kumar too was Himanshu Rai's lab assistant who rose to become a star of the studio. He worked in several hit movies produced by Bombay Talkies which starred Devika Rani. It is said that the once jilted Himanshu Rai felt secure seeing his wife act opposite the average-looking Ashok Kumar after losing her to Najam Ul Hassan's good looks. The audiences too loved Ashok Kumar as they felt he looked like them & not a Greek god. We wonder what made the makers cast Aparshakti for the role as it is quite unlike how he is in real life. 

All other characters seem to be completely fictional & not inspired by one particular Bollywood celeb.

Did we miss out on anyone? Are you liking the web series? Please drop a comment with your views.

Can you guess the celebs we are talking about? Please drop a comment with your guesses.

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