‘Bastar: The Naxal Story’ was first released theatrically on March 15. Fans can now rejoice as the Adah Sharma starrer will be released on OTT platforms. Zee5 will be streaming the movie from May 17. ‘Bastar: The Naxal Story’ stars Adah Sharma in the lead role and is directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, also the makers of controversial film ‘The Kerala Story’.
'Bastar: The Naxal Story' true story
The movie is about Indian Maoists, also known as Naxals, who were allegedly responsible for thousands of deaths. Based on real-life incidents, the film follows the struggle of a police officer, IPS Neerja Madhavan (Adah Sharma) in countering the Maoist insurgency. The rebel group is accused of the destruction of assets worth trillions of dollars during the Bastar rebellion that started in what is now Chattisgarh, India. According to IMDB page about the movie, the events in the movie are based on real-life events that occurred during the 1910 Bastar Rebellion.
The film depicts several real-life events from the insurgencies such as the massacre of 76 soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force, and then gives them a dramatic spin. The film compares the Maoist insurgency to Islamic State and Boko Haram and draws links between the Naxal leadership and Lashkar-e-Toiba, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and Filipino communists.
Bastar: A Naxal Story reception:
The movie was released to mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.3/10.
When & Where to watch ‘Bastar: A Naxal Story’:
ZEE5 will start streaming Bastar: The Naxal Story OTT Release on May 17. “An internal war that has the country divided into two fractions. Watch the gruesome story of Naxal violence," says the description of the movie on the OTT platform.