Adah Sharma Reflects On Bastar: The Naxal Story And Its OTT Journey On ZEE5

Bastar: The Naxal Story OTT Release: Adah Sharma's impactful film on Naxalism in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has premiered online on ZEE5. The Bollywood actress, who gained significant attention last year with The Kerala Story, discussed various aspects of her latest film with Filmibeat.

When asked about her initial expectations regarding the audience response to Bastar, given the success of Kerala Story and her collaboration with the same filmmakers, Sharma expressed her surprise at the opposition to The Kerala Story. She found it confusing that some people objected to a film denouncing terrorism and supporting women sharing their stories of rape. However, she was pleased that the majority supported the film, making it the highest-grossing female-led film of all time.

Regarding Bastar, Sharma noted that it did not have a widespread theatrical release. She mentioned receiving messages from people in Pune and other places about limited showtimes. Friends in London and the USA also faced similar issues with distant theatres showing the film at odd times. Despite these challenges, she believes every film has its own destiny. For her, Bastar's release on ZEE5 on 17th May allows more people to watch it from their homes.

Sharma discussed how she navigates portraying characters with both positive and negative attributes. She enjoyed playing a negative character in Sunflower, which was fictional. In contrast, The Kerala Story and Bastar were based on true stories. She started her career with the horror film 1920, also fiction. For her, it's about being convincing in front of the camera and truly embodying the character she is portraying.

Fulfilling Aspects and Desired Changes

Reflecting on the most fulfilling aspects of working on Bastar, Sharma highlighted the honour of playing a character from the Indian army, representing CRPF jawans. She admired the quality of putting others before oneself and being ready to sacrifice one's life for the country. If she could change one thing, it would be giving the film a better chance for audiences to watch it in theatres.

Message for Viewers

When asked about the message she hopes viewers take away from Bastar: The Naxal Story on ZEE5, Sharma simply stated, "Satyameva jayate. It might take some time but in the end, The truth always wins."