Bastar: The Naxal Story OTT Release EXCLUSIVE: Vipul Shah Reveals Adah Sharma Went To Jungles, Army Units

Bastar: The Naxal Story OTT Release Date: ZEE5 is all set to premiere Vipul Shah's Bastar on its platform from May 17. The film will be available for streaming on the leading OTT platform from next week.

Ahead of the digital premiere of Bastar: The Naxal Story, Vipul Shah interacted with Filmibeat and spilled the beans on Adah Sharma's prep for the movie. Here are excerpts from the interview.

How did you ensure the authenticity of the characters and the narrative, especially considering the real-world context of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency?

For authenticity, for the people playing the role of the Naxalites, who are supposed to be these killers, we actually got these people to train in jungles. We had a training camp for almost 15-16 days or even more. We trained them to move in the jungle, the way they need to fight, and the way they need to do things in terms of their body language and mannerisms. As far as Adah is concerned, we sent her to Bastar; she visited the army units; she went with everyone in the jungles, so she understood their body language. Immense work was done on the body language of every actor. There was action training, obviously. And then there were workshops to improve the performance quality of the actors, and everybody did a lot of hard work. Adah, Indira Tiwari, and Vijay Krishna all worked so hard, and eventually, they were able to pull off this beautiful performance that they have done in the film.

What were some of the challenges you encountered while developing the script, and how did you address them?

When you are writing a film like this, the biggest challenge is to be authentic, true to the facts yet keep it dramatic and engaging for the audience. I mean, that's always the most important challenge. And I think we relish that and always hope that we are able to successfully get the script with the right balance of truth and drama.

What were your expectations regarding audience reception and engagement with the film's themes and characters?

We were expecting a very, very solid engagement with the audience. Unfortunately, we didn't hit our targets. But whatever number of people who have seen the film, they have found it to be an exceptionally strong film. I hope that people will watch it now on ZEE5 in big numbers and that they will enjoy the film.

Bastar starring Adah Sharma in a lead role will premiere on May 17 on ZEE5.