Bastar: The Naxal Story OTT Release EXCLUSIVE! Sudipto Sen Reveals He Shot With Braces On Both Legs

Bastar OTT Release: Bastar: The Naxal Story, which premiered on ZEE5 on May 17, received a good response from the audience. The political thriller, based on the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, has been making waves since its digital release.

Filmibeat caught with the captain of the ship, director Sudipto Sen, for a quick chat. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

1. Were there any specific challenges you faced during the filming process, and how did you overcome them?

Besides my leg injuries, the entire shooting was a perfect cakewalk. Both legs were badly injured, and I shot the entire film with braces on both legs. At times, the pain used to be so great that I used to get senseless in pain. So, I was always attended to by doctors on the set. They used to inject steroids or cortigen in my knee or in my feet. It was difficult for me personally, but seeing the spirits of the 400-600 odd crew, often I used to forget my pains."

2. What do you think sets Bastar: The Naxal Story apart from other films that explore similar social and political themes?

Bastar' is not a political film. It is a complete film on human suffering and human rights. Political aspects are there by default. This is a new kind of cinema in India. In Hollywood, films like 'Blood Diamond' are made, but in the Indian context, this is indeed a new experiment. We strictly stick to the narrative of Neerja and Ratna. We had a lot of provocation to deal with the with the politics of Bastar and Leftist ideology, but we avoided it largely. I wanted to concentrate on the human suffering part, thanks to leftists, Maoists, and Naxals.

3. Looking back, what aspects of the filmmaking experience for Bastar: The Naxal Story do you find most rewarding?

The action sequences we shot for the film amaze me. All were so organically designed that each of them looked absolutely real. The cinema industry has a normal practice of going overboard in action sequences, but my action director worked really hard to keep all the action design grounded and closest to reality. His homework was commendable.

Bastar: The Naxal Story is available for streaming on ZEE5.