Bastar: The Naxal Story
{{Short description|2024 Indian political thriller film}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Bastar: The Naxal Story
| image = Bastar-The Naxal Story film poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = Sudipto Sen
{{Infobox
| decat = yes
| child = yes
}}
| story = Sudipto Sen
Amarnath Jha
| producer = Vipul Amrutlal Shah
| writer = Amarnath Jha
Sudipto Sen
Vipul Amrutlal Shah
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Adah Sharma
- Indira Tiwari
- Vijay Krishna
}}
| cinematography = Ragul Dharuman
| editing = Dev Rao Jadhav
| music = Bishakh Jyoti
| studio = Sunshine Pictures
| released = {{Film date|df=y|2024|3|15}}
| runtime = 124 minutes{{cite web |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/bastar-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde5otiz |title=Bastar (18) |website=British Board of Film Classification |date=13 March 2024 |access-date=13 March 2024}}
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR|15}} crore{{Cite web |title=Back Yodha Box Office Collection Day 6 |url=https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/yodha-box-office-collection-day-6-numbers-for-sidharth-malhotra-s-movie-dwindle-rs-25-5-crore-worldwide-11710987600356.html |website=Mint |date=21 March 2024}}
| gross = {{INR|1.79–3}} crore{{Cite web |title=Bastar: The Naxal Story box office collection |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/box-office/bastar-the-naxal-story-box-office-collection-adah-sharma-starrer-earns-just-rs-3-crore-in-first-week/articleshow/108695968.cms |website=The Times of India |date=22 March 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Bastar – The Naxal Story Box Office |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/bastar-the-naxal-story/box-office/ |access-date=16 March 2024 |website=Bollywood Hungama |date=16 March 2024}}
}}
Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language political thriller film directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.{{Cite web |date=26 June 2023 |title='The Kerala Story' makers announce next film 'Bastar', to release in 2024 |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-kerala-story-makers-announce-next-film-bastar-to-release-in-2024/article67010702.ece |access-date=23 November 2023}} It stars Adah Sharma, Indira Tiwari, Vijay Krishna, Shilpa Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, Subrat Dutta and Raima Sen.{{Cite web |date=20 October 2023 |title=Bastar A Naxal Story: Adah Sharma Reunites With The Kerala Story Makers, Kickstarts Shooting |work=Zee News |url=https://zeenews.india.com/bollywood/bastar-a-naxal-story-adah-sharma-reunites-with-the-kerala-story-makers-kickstarts-shooting-2677414.html |access-date=23 November 2023}}
The film was announced in June 2023, along with the title of the film, it's based on the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and the April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada.{{Cite web |title=Nationalist Hindi Films' Impact on Elections |url=https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/art-and-culture/nationalist-hindi-films-impact-on-elections-11712925865926.html |website=Livemint}} Bastar was theatrically released on 15 March 2024.{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/adah-sharmas-bastar-the-naxal-story-release-date-out-see-first-look-posters-sudipto-sen-vipul-amrutlal-shah-2489033-2024-01-15 |title=Adah Sharma's 'Bastar: The Naxal Story' release date out. See first look posters |date=15 January 2024 |work=India Today |access-date=16 January 2024}} The film received negative reviews from critics and was a major box office bomb.{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/bastar-box-office-collection-day-3-adah-sharmas-film-barely-crosses-rs-2-cr-mark-in-first-weekend-lags-far-behind-the-kerala-story-9220032/ |title=Bastar box office collection day 3: Adah Sharma's film barely |date=18 March 2024 |work=The Indian Express}}
Cast
{{Cast listing|
- Adah Sharma as I.P.S. Neerja Madhavan {{Cite web |date=20 October 2023 |title=Adah Sharma To Play I.G. Neerja Mathur In Bastar The Naxal story |work=The Free Press Journal |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/adah-sharma-to-play-ig-neerja-madhavan-in-bastar-the-naxal-story |access-date=23 November 2023}}
- Indira Tiwari as Ratna
- Vijay Krishna as Lanka Reddy
- Shilpa Shukla as Neelam Nagpal
- Yashpal Sharma as Utpal Trivedi
- Subrat Dutta as Millind Kashyap
- Raima Sen as Vanya Roy
- Anangsha Biswas as Lakshmi
- Kishor Kadam as Rajendra Karma
- Sanjay Borkar as Gynaecologist
- Atharva Sawant as Saryu
- Gopal K. Singh as Srivastav
- Purnendu Bhattacharya as Narayan Bagchi
- Naman Jain as Raman
- Vikas Shukla as Dr. Ajay
- Abhikalp Gagdekar as Vellala Maharaja
- Anamika Tiwari as Baruna
- Gandhali Jain as Yamuna Nagar
- Sameer Trimbakkar as Male Judge
- Sukanya Dhanda as Female Judge
- Nidhi Rasane as Rama
- Priyank Raj as Alok Puneet
}}
Production
=Development=
The film was produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah and directed by Sudipto Sen, who is also the story writer of the film.
In June 2023, Sunshine Pictures, the production company of the film, via social media, announced their next film titled Bastar.{{Cite web |date=26 June 2023 |title=The Kerala Story makers announce next film Bastar about 'another gripping true incident that will leave you speechless' |work=Hindustan Times |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/the-kerala-story-makers-next-film-bastar-release-date-101687764151585.html |access-date=23 November 2023}}
= Filming =
The principal photography commenced on 19 October 2023, with a muhurat puja and completed the first schedule of shooting.{{Cite web |date=19 October 2023 |title='द केरल स्टोरी' के बाद अदा शर्मा ने शुरू की 'बस्तर: द नक्सल स्टोरी' की शूटिंग, सेट से पहली तस्वीर आई सामने |work=Zee News |url=https://zeenews.india.com/hindi/zee-hindustan/entertainment/the-kerala-story-fame-adah-sharma-starts-shooting-for-bastar-the-naxal-story/1922363 |access-date=23 November 2023}}{{Cite web |date=12 November 2023 |title=It's a schedule wrap for team 'Bastar' |work=Times Entertainment |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/its-a-schedule-wrap-for-team-bastar/articleshow/105164538.cms |access-date=23 November 2023}}
Release
=Theatrical=
Bastar was theatrically released on 15 March 2024.{{Cite web |date=26 June 2023 |title=The Kerala Story duo Vipul Shah and Sudipto Sen announce Bastar |work=Bollywood Hungama |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/kerala-story-duo-vipul-shah-sudipto-sen-announce-bastar/ |access-date=23 November 2023}} The film was not properly released and got only a screen or two at the theatres.{{Cite web |date=18 March 2023 |title=Box Office: Yodha Does Well, Shaitaan Is A Superhit |work=Rediff.com |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/report/box-office-yodha-does-well-shaitaan-is-a-superhit/20240318.htm}}
=Home Video=
The digital streaming rights of Bastar was bought by ZEE5. The film started streaming on 17 May 2024.{{Cite web |title=Adah Sharma's Bastar OTT Release Date Confirmed OTT |work=Deccan Chronicle |date=9 May 2024 |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/ott/adah-sharmas-bastar-the-naxal-story-streaming-on-zee5-893216}}
Reception
Bastar: The Naxal Story wasn't well-received by critics.{{Cite news |title=Adah Sharma's Bastar OTT Release Date Confirmed |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/ott/adah-sharmas-bastar-the-naxal-story-streaming-on-zee5-893216 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212081504/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/ott/adah-sharmas-bastar-the-naxal-story-streaming-on-zee5-893216 |archive-date=12 February 2025 |access-date=12 February 2025 |work=Deccan Chronicle |quote=Initially released in theaters in March, Bastar: The Naxal Story failed to replicate the success of its predecessor, falling short both critically and commercially.}} {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|score=43|count=7|average=4.3|consensus=|ref=yes |access-date=19 March 2024}}{{cite Rotten Tomatoes |title=Bastar The Naxal Story |id=bastar_the_naxal_story |type=m |access-date=19 March 2024}}
Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India rated 3/5 and wrote "Bastar is a hard-hitting crime drama, with moments that surely shake you."{{Cite news |title=Bastar: The Naxal Story Movie Review: This Naxal Saga Is An Intense Dive Into Societal Turmoil |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/bastar-the-naxal-story/movie-review/108503809.cms |date=15 March 2024 |website=The Times of India}}{{rating|3|5}} Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com gave 2/5 stars and wrote "The Naxal movement has such a complex history that several books have been written to understand it. Bastar: The Naxal Story seeks to reduce it to bullet points and stereotypes."{{Cite web |title=Bastar: The Naxal Story Review: Bizarre |url=https://m.rediff.com/movies/report/bastar-the-naxal-story-review/20240315.htm |date=15 March 2024 |website=Rediff}}{{rating|2|5}}
Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Bastar: The Naxal Story is a sloppy docudrama that is away from thrill, adventure and drama".{{Cite web |title=Bastar: The Naxal Story Review: Adah Sharma's Act Too Can't Save Sudipto Sen's Yawn Fest |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/movie-review/bastar-the-naxal-story-review-adah-sharmas-act-too-cant-save-sudipto-sens-yawn-fest |date=15 March 2024 |website=The Free Press Journal}}{{rating|2|5}} Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave 1/5 stars and wrote that Bastar is "Sensational, oversimplified film with no nuance".{{Cite web |title='Bastar The Naxal Story' Review: Sensational, oversimplified film with no nuance |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/bastar-the-naxal-story-review-adah-sharma-sudipto-sen-vipul-shah-2515308-2024-03-15 |date=15 March 2024 |website=India Today}}{{rating|1|5}}
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated 0.5/5 stars and wrote "To expect any kind of nuance from the makers of The Kerala Story would have been a stretch. Bastar is more of the same."{{Cite news |date=15 March 2024 |title=Bastar The Naxal Story movie review: Watching this is beyond terrible |work=The Indian Express |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/bastar-the-naxal-story-movie-review-watching-this-is-beyond-terrible-9215549/}}{{rating|0.5|5}} Samvartha Sahil of Deccan Herald rated 0.5/5 stars and wrote "Sudipto Sen’s new feature film Bastar: The Naxal Story lacks not just an understanding of a complex political situation, and its larger socio-economic undercurrents, but also of constructing a compelling narrative."{{Cite news |date=15 March 2024 |title='Bastar' movie review: Anti-naxal film that propagates violence |work=Deccan Herald |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/bastar-movie-review-anti-naxal-film-that-propagates-violence-2938987}}{{rating|0.5|5}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|tt28221135|Bastar:The Naxal Story}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes | bastar_the_naxal_story }}
- [https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bastar-the-naxal-story/0-0-1z5559828 Bastar: The Naxal Story]
Category:2020s Hindi-language films
Category:Indian political thriller films
Category:Films set in Chhattisgarh
Category:Indian docudrama films
Category:Fictional portrayals of police departments in India
Category:Films about terrorism in India
Category:Guerrilla warfare in film
Category:Films about communism
Category:Indian films based on actual events
Category:Hindi-language action films
Category:Hindi-language films based on actual events
Category:Indian action thriller films