At a time when Bihar went to the polls for its 2025 Assembly Elections on Thursday, came the release of ‘Maharani 4’ on Friday, a Sony LIV web series deeply rooted in the state’s political landscape. Headlined by Huma Qureshi as Rani Bharti, ‘Maharani’ chronicles the extraordinary journey of a simple housewife who rises to become the Chief Minister of Bihar.

After three successful seasons, the makers return with a fresh chapter that takes a time leap. Rani’s husband’s murderers are now behind bars, and she continues to reign as the CM. Her children, too, have grown up—Shweta Basu Prasad plays her eldest daughter, while Shardul Bhardwaj and Darsheel Safary step into the roles of her elder and younger sons, respectively.

This season shifts the stage from Bihar’s political corridors to the national capital. Prime Minister Joshi (Vipin Sharma) seeks Rani’s alliance at the Centre after the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu withdraw their support. However, Rani boldly rejects his offer on national television, citing the failure to grant Bihar the special status it deserves.

Rani’s ambitions soar higher than ever in this season as she directly challenges the Prime Minister for his chair. But while political games unfold at the top, her family life begins to fracture. Among her three children, her youngest son, Surya (Darsheel), enjoys a content life in London and shows little interest in returning home. Jay (Shardul), her fiery elder son, is neck-deep in politics and well-connected. In a shocking move, Rani announces her daughter Roshni (Shweta) as her successor to Bihar’s CM post—leaving both her family and her rivals stunned.

While the stakes in this political game are higher, the cast is also larger than before, and the performances are also at par. Huma continues to shine with her performance as Rani, although, despite all the make-up, she lacks conviction in playing a mother of three grown-up children.

As the PM, Vipin has delivered another powerful performance. Shardul and Shweta are also the latest additions to the cast, who will leave you stunned with their act. A scene where the brother and sister confront each other, saying they’re becoming a version of their parents – Roshni as Rani and Jay as Bheema – is a particular scene that talks widely of their skills as actors. In terms of performances, ‘Maharani 4’ certainly meets the expectations.

Another factor that forms a strength of the series is its dialogue writing. In fact, the way the characters have been written will remind you of some real-life characters. Also, the use of words like ‘Parivarvaad’ and ‘Jumla’ also makes it relatable to real-life politics. However, what may disappoint a little is that though the politics have moved on the national front, there is more of family dynamics. These situations back at Rani’s home will grow further, which will be explored in its next season.

Verdict: In all, ‘Maharani 4’, directed by Puneet Prakash, is a season that rides on brilliant performances and dialogue writing. It makes for a good weekend watch, especially for those who love watching political thrillers.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars