Sodhi continues to tell his story to Amar.

February 14, 1942
We see the Indian soldiers that were about to be beheaded, saved by a Japanese general. The general is seen telling his soldiers not to kill Indians. We later learn that the Japanese respected Gandhi’s plight against the British and were India’s allies but considered soldiers who worked for the British army, lap dogs of their rulers. The moment the Indian soldiers start yelling Gandhi’s name, the Japanese stop torturing them, while the British and Australian soldiers are shot dead

The next day, the captured soldiers are paraded around the town to signify Japanese control over Singapore. A woman called Maya takes pictures of Sodhi and Arshad in the parade. We later learn that her father owns a photography studio in the town. 

Farrer Park, February 17, 1942

The Japanese announce that they want to help India create an army that would help liberate its people from the British. Captain Mohan Singh is introduced as commanding officer of Azad Hind Fauj (INA)

Sodhi believes that this is a Japanese tactic. He says that if they join INA they will have to fight against their own brothers that are serving British-India. Arshad tells him they have no choice. If they refuse the Japanese will send them to prison camps.

Sodhi still stalls his registration in the army since he finds it difficult to betray the British Army in which his family has served for generations.

The flashback ends and we see Amar take Sodhi to a Library. Here he shows Sodhi the pictures Maya had taken published in an old newspaper. Amar asks if he knows anything about this photographer.

March 2, 1942

After joining INA, this was Sodhi’s first day off. He and Arshad find Maya’s studio coincidentally. They ask for a copy of the picture she took, but she doesn’t recognise them. When Sodhi salutes her while leaving she recalls them and hands them a copy. They talk and Maya expresses her reverence for them for joining the army that will liberate India. She asks if she could take pictures of their camp. Arshad excitedly invites her to visit them the next day. He arranges for Sodhi to pick her up since he senses their coy smiles towards each other.

The next day, Sodhi brings Maya to the camp. A ceremony is taking place in the camp as 50 cows are gifted to INA by the Japanese to provide milk to the army patients. Crackles of laughter break all over the camp when Sodhi tells the Japanese general that they had gifted them bulls and not cows! 

Flashbacks ends and we see Amar pointing to another picture, this time of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in the newspaper. Sodhi tells him that it was only after Netaji’s speech that he felt fully dedicated to the INA’s cause.

Cut to the past, we see Maya’s parents trying to get her marriage fixed with her friend,Shridhar while Maya secretly starts attending INA rallies. 

By the end of this episode we begin to understand the extent of brainwashing Indian soldiers went through. Sodhi’s character has received top English education and has unknowingly lost his patriotism. He started admiring his rulers. In the end we hear him tell Arshad that he was blindly following the Britishers while they treated him like cattle and had easily surrendered them to the Japanese.

We also see the cruelty of the war, the Japanese hang the severed heads of British soldiers along the bridges in the city. 

Maya is introduced as a feminist and a potential love interest. Her character is interesting and we look forward to how her story progresses as in the flashback clips of the first episode, she is seen fighting in the war alongside Sodhi.

This was yet another well directed episode, with the end of each flashback we are starting to see Amar getting more and more engrossed in Sodhi’s tale.

Rating - 5/5