Bastar: The Naxal Story 2024: A Political Thriller Movie Review
Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 HD political thriller in the Hindi language that was produced and directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Adah Sharma, Raima Sen, Subrat Dutta, Yashpal Sharma, Shilpa Shukla, Indira Tiwari, and Vijay Krishna are among its cast members.
The film’s title and announcement in June 2023 indicated that it was based on the Naxalite-Maoist uprising in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar area. Critics gave the movie poor reviews, and it was a huge box office failure.
Highlights
Expanding upon the successful formula of The Kerala Story, which benefited the producers financially, filmmaker Sudipto Sen addresses a more contentious matter with an even more antagonistic tone. In Bastar, he uses a vast list of conspiracy theories to try and uncover the true objectives behind the Naxal violence, whereas, in his previous film, it was the claimed brutal conversion of young girls to Islam by Muslim terror organizations in Kerala.
It looks to be an eye-opener, but after listening to two hours of tirades against communism, Sen’s films are intended solely for those who are visually impaired.
Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 Hindi HD Story
A mother-son narrative sits at the heart of the movie. When a tribal man is slain for raising the national flag in an area of the forest where Naxalite influence is predominant, the shattered family suffers greatly. His wife and daughter beg for forgiveness as he is slashed in front of his family. His teenage kid is nowhere to be found; it seems he is drawn to the Naxalites’ teachings and is taught that his father’s destiny is what befell him. The son joins the enemy organisation while his mother becomes enraged and wants revenge. Neerja Madhavan (Adah Sharma), an IPS officer, stands between the two. It is revealed that she is pregnant, and she is forced to join the team assigned to assassinate the Naxalite commander.
Positive Aspects
It’s a heartbreaking tale of a woman taking revenge on the Naxals for the awful damage they’ve done to her family. This narrative subplot highlights the pain of the individual among larger political problems, giving the movie a very human touch. The film’s aggressive background score and strong dialogue work together to create a captivating atmosphere that promises an interesting and thought-provoking cinematic experience.
Negative Aspects
However, obstacles and disappointments hampered the film’s path to the big screen. Bastar: The Naxal Story, which debuted in theatres in March, was not as successful as its predecessor, receiving negative reviews and doing poorly on the box office. The film’s low box office receipt of 4 crores was a considerable break from its predecessor’s blockbuster status, as it was beset by poor performances, technical issues, and an unengaging narrative.
The Naxal Story is, to put it mildly, flimsy and weak. There is no character journey for us to identify with in any way. There are undoubtedly other ways to depict a strong lady than having the female lead become pregnant while defending the nation.
Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 Hindi HD Cast
Neerja Madhavan (Adah Sharma), a devoted police officer in a senior role in the CRPF, is the protagonist of the tale and is tasked with putting an end to the Naxal insurrection. The film opens with a courtroom confrontation between the government and Naxal representatives.
Neerja stops the Naxalites in Chhattisgarh by using Special Police Officers (SPOs) and Salwa Judum, an organization supported by the government. We track the story of Ratna (Indira Tiwari), a tribal woman renowned for Naxalite Lanka Reddy assassinated whose husband, at the same time. Ratna joins the police force in pursuit of retribution and assists Neerja with her assignment.
Adha Sharma’s Two Cents about Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 HD
Adah Sharma highlighted the importance of the film while sharing her excitement for its OTT release. She said, “Bastar is a powerful movie that addresses a delicate and significant issue.” “The affection and gratitude that fans have bestowed upon my character since its theatrical debut has truly overwhelmed me. I believe the film will reach a larger audience thanks to its internet release, and I hope that audience members will keep showing their love and support.
Bastar: The Naxal Story is a 2024 HD reviews
Critics gave the film varying degrees of praise. Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal referred it to as a “sloppy documentation political drama that is away from thrill, adventure, and drama”. The film was described as a “sensational, oversimplified film with no nuance” by Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today.
According to Rediff.com’s Deepa Gahlot, the film attempted to distill the movement to “bullet points and stereotypes.” However, Abhishek Srivastava of The Times of India described the movie as a “hard-hitting crime drama.”
Final Thoughts
Despite of these flaws, the movie is set to make its world premiere on Zee5 only on May 17th, where viewers will explore its socio-political issues against the backdrop of the Naxalite conflict. But the question still stands: Is it worthwhile to devote time and attention to Bastar: The Naxal Story?