Tandav ending explained: Who won the mad race?

Amazon Prime Video’s latest web series, Tandav, follows the story of Saif Ali Khan’s Samar Pratap Singh, a power-hungry politician who would go to any length to become the next Prime Minister.

When Samar’s master plan fails, he turns his attention to a politically charged college boy, Shiva, in whom he sees an opportunity to ascend to power. But every headway that Samar makes is overturned by his nemesis, Anuradha, until he learns of a truth that could change both their fates.

Samar’s journey to the top is filled with roadblocks and many lives and relationships are compromised on the way. The last episode in particular is slightly fast-paced, making it difficult to keep track of all the developments.

Here’s a detailed explanation of how Tandav ends:

Samar Pratap Singh is the kingmaker

The end of Tandav shows Samar Pratap Singh as the winner, but just not in the way some viewers were hoping.

After skillfully ousting Anuradha Kishore from power, Samar gives his party members and the audiences a shock when he names not himself, but rather Gopal Das Munshi, as the interim Prime Minister. This means that even by the end of the show, Samar is still the kingmaker and not the king.

But if you’ve learnt anything about Samar from the nine-part series, you would know that the story isn’t over yet. Samar probably has a more sinister scheme in motion and this is just the beginning.

Moreover, the look Samar exchanges with his wife and with Gurpal makes it clear that Munshi is but a pawn in his mega plan.

As for Anuradha, not only does she lose her position as the PM, she also loses a confidante, for it was Maithali who betrayed her.

Shiva Shekhar emerges victorious but at what price?

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub’s Shiva Shekhar wins the the student-body elections under the banner of his party ‘Tandav’. He is about to deliver his speech when his love interest, Sana Mir (Kritika Kamra), asks him to meet him. Upon entering her room, he finds her hanging from the ceiling.

The fact that Sana died by suicide when she was supposed to be leaving the city for a fresh start with her sister is certainly fishy.

Sana was clearly about to tell Shiva the truth about Vishal’s death and that Chetan had been falsely accused. This could have put Jigar (Dino Morea) and Samar’s plan in jeopardy.

Her death seems to be a case of murder, but Shiva doesn’t know it yet. But who killed her? Was it Jigar? Or Gurpal, who seems to be on a killing spree?

Speaking of Jigar, the show ends with the professor’s life messier than ever. He tries to get his ex-wife back by spreading news of her pregnancy, but fails miserably.

Who was the anonymous caller?

The biggest question of them all is, who gave the anonymous tip to Maithali and then to Ajay’s reporter? Who else knew that Aconite was used to murder Devki Nandan?

Unfortunately, Tandav leaves this question unanswered, but there are several plausible theories.

The possibility of Ajay betraying Samar has to be ruled out, because he was in his office when his reporter received the tip. The doctors too couldn’t have done it, or so Gurpal claims. Was it Ajay’s wife? Or was it Samar’s own wife?

Watch the characters of Tandav explain ‘Tandavniti’ in their own words:


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