Maharani () is an Indian Hindi-language political drama streaming television series created by Subhash Kapoor. Four seasons of the web series have been released with Huma Qureshi portraying the title character.
Season 1 of the series is directed by Karan Sharma, Season 2 by Ravindra Gautam and Season 3 by Saurabh Bhave.
The series stars Huma Qureshi along with Sohum Shah, Amit Sial, Kani Kusruti and Inaamulhaq.
The multi-seasons political series is partly inspired by events in Bihar in the 1990s when Lalu Prasad Yadav made his homemaker wife Rabri Devi his successor. The story of season 1 is from 1995 to 1999 and is inspired by real-life events and characters like Ranvir Sena, left-wing militants, Naxalite groups, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, 1997 Laxmanpur Bathe massacre, Fodder Scam, Brahmeshwar Singh.
The first season premiered on SonyLIV on 28 May 2021.
The story of season 2 is from mid-1999 and is inspired from real-life events and characters like Shilpi-Gautam Murder, Sadhu Yadav, Rajiv Goswami, Shibu Soren, Mohammad Shahabuddin, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and 2000 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.
The teaser of the second season was launched on 16 July 2022 and the trailer was released on 1 August 2022. The second season was released on 25 August 2022 on SonyLIV.
The third season trailer been released on 19 February 2024. And the season was released on Sony LIV on 7 March 2024. It is again inspired by and related with many real life events, including the Jitan Manjhi episode.
The trailer of season 4 released on 9 October 2025, the show completely released on SonyLIV on 7 November 2025.
Plot This is a fictional story, where Rani Bharti is a homemaker and the wife of Bihar's chief minister Bheema. All she cares about is her house and her husband. She wants to pack her bags and go back to the village after her husband resigns from the post of Bihar's CM. But her life takes a turn when her husband and Bihar's CM is made to announce the name of his successor. While his party members look excited to hear who has been appointed, he makes Rani his successor, leaving everyone surprised.
Season 1
After being shot, Bihar CM Bheema Bharti unexpectedly names his wife, Rani, as his successor. Rani was an uneducated woman who was content with her simple ways of life and regular family routine and is suddenly thrust into the world of government files she cannot read, corruption, and caste massacres across the state. Amid caste arithmetic, traditional satraps, and emerging voices of dissent, can an illiterate women like Rani Bharti survive the turbulent world of politics?
Season 2
As Bheema Bharti runs a proxy government from prison, CM Rani Bharti is accused of misgovernance while Bihar fights anti-incumbency, jungle raj, and corruption. Lawlessness has gripped the state of Bihar and the opposition holds Rani responsible for the state's ‘jungle raj’.
Facing a constant turmoil of opposition from her own party and dealing with a husband and political enemies who are obstinately plotting to overthrow her government, she is forced to make some moves that will disrupt the whole political scenario. With elections right around the corner, will Rani's acumen turn victorious, given her own husband is her greatest enemy?
Season 3
Step into the gripping world of Bihar politics, where Rani finds herself unjustly imprisoned for three long years. Navin Kumar grabs the CM seat. With Bheema Bharti eliminated, the blame falls on Rani and a chilling tale of vengeance unfolds in Season 3.
Prepare for a relentless pursuit of justice, intertwined with personal vengeance and political motives.
Season 4
The fourth season of Maharani fast-forwards to 2012, where Rani Bharti reigns as Bihar's two-term Chief Minister and a potential contender for national leadership. In Delhi, Prime Minister Sudhakar Sriniwas Joshi struggles to hold together a collapsing coalition, leading to a political confrontation. As ambitions collide and loyalties fracture, Rani and Joshi find themselves in a high-stakes battle for power that could reshape the country's future. Maharani Season 4 depicts themes of political rivalry, corruption, and changing loyalties within India's coalition era.
Cast Huma Qureshi as Rani Bharti, wife of Bihar's chief minister Bheema character inspired by Rabri Devi Vipin Sharma as Prime Minister Joshi (Season 4) Sohum Shah as Bihar's chief minister Bheema Bharti character inspired by Lalu Prasad Yadav (Season 1–2) Amit Sial as Navin Kumar Character inspired by Nitish Kumar, chief of Bihar People's Party Kani Kusruti as Kaveri Sridharan, Rani's secretary Pramod Pathak as Satyendranath Mishra, RJSP chief secretary Inaamulhaq as Parvez Alam (Season 1) Vineet Kumar as Gauri Shankar Pandey Anuja Sathe as Kirti Singh Tanu Vidyarthi as Khyati Harish Khanna as Shankar Mahto Mohammad Aashique Hussain as Prem Kumar Chaubey Sushil Pandey as Kunwar Singh Kannan Arunachalam as DGP Siddhant Gautam Atul Tiwari as Governor Govardhan Daas Pankaj Kashyap (Pankaj Jha) as Diwakar Jha Neha Chauhan as Kalpana Kaul, director of political consultancy firm I-ACT (Season 2) Anushka Kaushik as Shilpa Agarwal (Season 2) Sukumar Tudu as Dulari Yadav (Season 2) Robin Das as Ekkal Munda (Season 2) Ansha Sayed as Sanjana Dutt, a TV news reporter (Season 2) Danish Iqbal as Dilshad Mirza Leysan Karimova as Zehra Shaikh Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Martin Ekka (Season 2) Kumar Saurabh as Sanyasi Rai (Season 2) Pranay Narayan as Kamta Prasad Agasthya Shanker as Jagganath Tripathi Vishwa Bhanu as Hemraj Alok Chatterjee as Mukhiya Neeraj Kashyap Divyashekhar Jha as Shrawan Kumar a.k.a. Shaun (Season 2) Shweta Basu Prasad as Roshni Bharti (Season 4) Rajeshwari Sachdev (Season 4) Darsheel Safary as Surya (Season 4)
Episode Summary
Season 1 (2021) Episode No. Title Synopsis DirectorDuration 1 Jaat Na Poocho Sadhu Ki 1998 - Bihar is going through a financial crisis and caste wars are rampant throughout the state. Dileep Ram, a Dalit, is killed by Thakur Saheb, a landlord because Dileep refused to send his wife to work at Thakur's mansion. In reprisal, Naxal leader Shankar Mahto kills Thakur along with eight of his men. This leads to political unrest in Bihar and brings the factionalism in the ruling party out in the open. Karan Sharma46 mins 2 Dekh Tamasha Kursi Ka CM Bheema Bharti survives the fatal attack but is bedridden. RJSP central observer Ramjeevan Bohra informs Bheema that due to his ill health, the party has decided to elect a new CM. Bheema agrees to resign with a condition that if he gets maximum votes then he will announce his successor and Bohra agrees. A triangular fight ensues between Bheema Bharti, Naveen Kumar and Party President Gauri Shankar Pandey. Karan Sharma47 mins 3 Ghoonghat Ke Pat Khol Re Illiterate and shy Rani Bharti is completely out of depth while taking CM's oath in cabinet meeting. She feels extremely humiliated as media roasts her and calls her rubber-stamp CM. She decides not to go to the office but when Bheema's PA Mishra Ji reminds her that her reluctance to take charge as CM could lead to another murder attempt on Bheema, Rani gets the message. She orders DGP to find people who were behind murder attempt on Bheema. Karan Sharma57 mins 4 Sadho Yeh Murdon Ka Gaon CM Rani Bharti faces the first big crisis in the office when Veer Sena, an army of upper-caste people, massacred 37 lower caste people in Laxmanpur village. Rani Bharti gives a 13-day ultimatum to DGP to catch Mukhiya. DGP nabs Mukhiya's right-hand man Kunwar Singh in a daring operation but he refuses to divulge Mukhiya's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Rani gets to know from Finance Secretary Parvez Alam that the state has no money to even pay its employees and all state treasuries are empty. Karan Sharma43 mins 5 Kaun Thagwa Nagariya Lootal Ho Ranchi DM Manak Gupta pays a visit to Machan Baba, a religious leader, and informs him about the Finance Secretary's visit to Ranchi treasury for audit. Machan baba asks him to be alert. Parvez Alam and his Deputy Anjani Srivastav visit the treasury office in the night and find suspicious bills. Parvez reports to CM Rani that Animal Husbandry Dept (AHD) has done fraudulent withdrawals in millions from Ranchi treasury. CM orders him to investigate AHD withdrawals from all 48 treasuries of Bihar. Karan Sharma39 mins 6 Na Kahu Se Dosti, Na Kahu Se Bair Parvez Alam interrogates 4 AHD officials of Ranchi and gets to know withdrawals were done by submitting fake bills of supply of seeds, fodder, medical equipment by companies such as VC Foods. He also gets to know fraud was happening with AHD minister Prem Kumar's approval. Rani confronts Prem and asks for his resignation. Prem reminds her that if he goes, her govt will fall too. Karan Sharma47 mins 7 Bahot Kathin Hai Dagar Panghat Ki Mukhiya with help of SP Nishikant traps and kills ASI Ranjana Kumari, a Naxal sympathizer, who had helped DGP to arrest Kunwar Singh. Shankar Mahto vows revenge. Rani Bharti dismisses Prem Kumar and orders CID investigation into the scam. Infuriated Prem Kumar, on the advice of Gauri Shankar Pandey, leaves RJS party and joins hands with Naveen Kumar along with 8 more MLAs from RJS on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. This brings Rani's Govt into a minority. Karan Sharma49 mins 8 Maaya Maha Thagni Hum Jaani Bheema, who could now walk with the help of a stick, meets Governor and asks him why did he try to kill him? After all, Machan baba couldn't do anything without Governor's approval. Governor reminds him that he had gone back on his words. Bheema offers Governor a deal - that he won't touch Machan Baba and in return, Governor won't call Rani Govt, which was in minority, for floor test as demanded by Naveen. Bheema, true to his word, stops Rani from arresting Machan baba. Karan Sharma39 mins 9 Chah Gayi Chinta Miti Manua Beparwah Rani meets Governor at midnight and demands an explanation. Governor drops a bombshell, tells her Bheema Bharti too was part of the Seed Scam. In fact, 3 years ago, post elections, his party RJSP was short of a majority in the Assembly and Bheema became CM only after he agreed to make Virender Thakur, Governor Protege, and Animal Husbandry Minister in the previous govt, as AHD minister in his government too.Karan Sharma35 mins 10 Jo Ghar Phoonke Apnau, Chale Hamaare Saath Rani confronts Bheema about the scam, death of Virendra Thakur and his association with Naxal leader Shankar Mahto. Bheema says Virender had joined hands with Mukhiya to kill backward caste people and destabilize his govt, so he asked his college friend Shankar Mahto to kill him. Later he made Prem Kumar as AHD minister with approval from Governor. Bheema adds he did nothing wrong as these are small prices to pay for the social change he brought in Bihar.Karan Sharma48 mins
Season 2 (2022)