When Prakash Jha’s Aashram premiered on MX Player in 2020, it didn’t just arrive—it erupted. Set against the dust-choked, color-drenched landscapes of a fictional town called Kashipur, the very first episode, serves a potent cocktail of blind faith, political muscle, and raw exploitation.
If you enjoyed the slow-burn tension of "Sacred Games" or the political cynicism of "Narcos," Episode 1 of Aashram is your next addiction. Jai Nirala? More like Jai Manipulation. MX Player Episode Runtime: 48 minutes Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) – A gripping, uncomfortable start.
Meanwhile, we meet Satti, a simple young man whose mother is dying of a kidney ailment. Doctors have given up. But Satti believes Baba Nirala can perform a miracle. He sells his only buffalo—his family’s livelihood—to buy a silver throne for the Baba as an offering. The tragedy is immediate: he gives everything for a man who doesn’t even know his name. The Supernatural Business Baba Nirala’s first on-screen "miracle" is a masterclass in manipulation. A blind woman is brought before him. The crowd watches in tears. Baba places his hand on her eyes, mutters a mantra, and— poof —she claims she can see light.
He calls her to his private chamber. No chanting. No incense. Just a soft voice and a piercing gaze. "You are special," he tells her. "The world will try to break you. Stay here tonight. I will bless you personally."
The scene is quiet, almost corporate. They drink tea and shake hands. The sacred and the profane become business partners. The final act focuses on Ujagar. She returns to the ashram after failing to secure her hockey bribe. Baba Nirala notices her. He sees not a devotee, but an asset—a young, strong, beautiful athlete who could be the ashram’s new "face."
The episode ends with Ujagar hesitating at the door of his private quarters. The screen cuts to black on her anxious face. The music swells—a mix of devotional bhajan and ominous synth. We know she is walking into a trap. She does not. "Jai Nirala" is a slow burn that uses the first hour to build a world of systemic hypocrisy. Bobby Deol delivers a career-best performance, trading his "hero" persona for a villain who believes his own lies. The episode does not rely on jump scares or violence; the horror is in the realism.