Bollywood actress Adah Sharma, who previously featured in ‘The Kerala Story,’ appeared in another politically inclined film, ‘Bastar: The Naxal Story,’ which performed poorly at the box office. In an exclusive conversation, Adah reveals why she prefers to do this genre of films. Read on.
Exclusive: A few months back, a powerful filmmaking team led by Sudipto Sen decides to deliver a hard-hitting narrative of the insurgency that takes place in Bastar located in Chhattisgarh. He made sure his movie The Kerala Story actor Adah Sharma fits in for Bastar. Adah and Sudipto collaborated for The Kerala Story, the film that went on to mint over Rs 300 crore worldwide with the help of positive word-of-mouth among the audience.
Riding this wave, they announced their next project: “Bastar: The Naxal Story.” As the title implies, this film delves into the complex and disturbing world of the Naxalite insurgency. While Adah spoke exclusively to india.com, she revealed how she is inclined towards political movies like Bastar and The Kerala Story. “If a film is liked by the audience, nothing can stop it’, Adah told us.
Adah Sharma’s Take On Politically Inclined Films
In an exclusive conversation, Adah Sharma was asked about her take on the politically motivated film. The Bastar actress added, “There are many political films. After filming The Kerala Story I got to know about the ‘right’ and the ‘left’ side. I also got to know if people on the left don’t like the film then it’s called a ‘propaganda’ film. I didn’t know all these things before. I also got to know, about paid PR that’s done against certain films that have been released (sic).”
She further added, “One thing I got to know is if a film is meant to be liked by people and the audience has taken a liking towards it, nothing can stop it. There were a lot of other films after Kerala Story, made on the same concept but they didn’t do much business (sic).”
Adah Sharma was last seen in a politically controversial film, The Kerala Story which was directed by Sudipto Sen. The was made with a budget of Rs 30 crores and went on to make a business of Rs 200-250 crores. On the other hand, Adah who previously appeared in another controversial film, Bastar: The Naxal Story was made with a budget of Rs 3 crore. The Maoist-Naxalist insurgency film made an overall collection of just Rs 1.30 crore in India and 0.24 crore globally (according to Bollywood Hungama). The film had a disastrous run in the first week and it failed to get the attention of the cine-goers by the second week of its release.
Adah Sharma’s Experience Working in Bastar
In a candid conversation with us, Adah was asked to share inputs on working on a film like Bastar. She added, “It’s a true story of how Naxalaites have killed our Jawans in our country. This information is available to everyone, I chose the side of the truth and I always stand by it and in the end, only the truth prevails. Even our constitution says, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ that’s what our country stands for (sic).” Adah continued, “When you do a film about your country I don’t think we should be afraid to speak the truth. When you do films like Bastar you cannot think of repercussions (sic).”
About Bastar: The Naxal Story
After hitting the big screen, “Bastar: The Naxal Story” made its way to the Zee 5 Global OTT platform. This gripping film, sheds light on the complex world of Naxalites, their impact on everyday people, and the government’s response, and is now available for both those who want to revisit the story and those who missed it in theaters.
The film featured an ensemble cast, including Adah Sharma, Vijay Krishna, Shilpa Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, Indira Tiwari, Subrat Dutta, and Raima Sen. These talented actors are expected to deliver compelling performances, bringing the story to life on the screen. Bastar: The Naxal Story delves into the complex and often challenging realities of the Naxal movement.
As the film makes its way to the OTT platform, viewers can look forward to an immersive and thought-provoking cinematic experience helmed by Sudipto Sen.
