Chernobyl, the HBO series currently streaming on Hotstar, based on the story of the world's worst nuclear accident, is a fascinating watch, hanging somewhere between disaster film and political exposé. At first, it is difficult to see — horror, powerlessness, dread paralyse us. We struggle along with the characters, as they grapple with a seemingly insurmountable crisis. It feels primeval — nature, technologised, but still, nature, versus human hubris.

We are similarly helpless and transfixed, as the culture of secrecy and lies that came to typify the Soviet Union unfolds, exacerbating the crisis, swallowing the lives of its own citizens. Chernobyl succeeds most in this respect — telling an engrossing historical tale as a way to meditate on nationhood.