Following the success of The Kerala Story, Adah Sharma was recently featured in the film Bastar: The Naxal Story. The film premiered in theaters on March 15, 2024, and is now gearing up for its digital debut. The OTT platform, ZEE5, recently confirmed that the movie will premiere next week.
Directed by Sudipto Sen, the film is based on the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people during the Bastar revolt. However, the film received a negative response from critics, leading to its failure at the box office. According to The Times of India, Bastar’s total first-week collection is less than the opening-day collection of The Kerala Story.
Alongside Adah Sharma, Bastar’s cast includes Indira Tiwari, Vijay Krishna, Shilpa Shukla, Yashpal Sharma, and others.
When will Bastar stream on OTT?
Recently, ZEE5 took to X (formerly Twitter) and announced that Bastar will premiere on the platform starting May 17 in Hindi and Telugu. They wrote, “You said fearless, we heard Neerja! #Bastar, inspired by true events, premieres 17th May, only on #ZEE5. Available in Hindi and Telugu.” This announcement sparked anticipation among audiences, particularly those who missed its theatrical run.
Before its theatrical run, Bastar faced controversy over a scene referencing JNU, which ignited protests and accusations of spreading dangerous propaganda. Addressing the criticism in an interview with News18, Adah said, “When you play a tough cop like Neeraj Mathur in Bastar, I want people to think that I portrayed her in the strongest, most fearless, and powerful way. I want people to believe each word I’m saying in the film. When she says that 76 jawans were butchered and that she wants to gun them down, she’s saying it out of frustration because she saw the jawans being shot and chopped into pieces. I might not say it as Adah but Neerja would.”
As Bastar’s digital release date approaches, all eyes is on how audiences respond to the film’s digital debut. In the meantime, Bastar is set to premiere on May 17 on Zee5.
