- Movie Name:Bastar: The Naxal Story
- Critics Rating: 2.5 / 5
- Release Date: March 15, 2024
- Director: Sudipto Sen
- Genre: Crime Fiction
'Bastar: The Naxal Story' talks about one of the biggest problems in the country, i.e., Naxalism. The film revolves around the impact of Naxalite incidents on the tribal families, CRPF jawans, state and the central government. In the film, Adah Sharma plays the role of IPS Neerja Mathur and a major portion of 'Baster' revolves around her experiences of some of the most horrific incidents by the naxalites and how she deals with them. If you are planning to watch this crime fiction flick on the big screen, you must read this review till the end, which will give you a brief idea of what Bastar: The Naxal Story is all about in terms of direction, acting and storyline.
Story
IPS Neerja, played by Adah Sharma, is pregnant in the film, who vows to eliminate Naxalism in the Naxal-influenced area of Bastar, where she is posted. Then there is a Naxalite gang leader Lanka Reddy, who has created a sense of fear in the region. He is shown manipulating the people in the region against the government. The major portion of the film's storyline revolves around these two characters.
The plot of the film commences from the forests of Bastar, however, it also shows Naxalism's impact in New Delhi and JNU. The story also talks about funding for Naxalism.
Acting
We found Adah Sharma and Yashpal Sharma's acting in the film only fine, but not that effective. Adah was expected to be more ruthless in the film but she hasn't been able to convey that powerful style. Also, the supporting characters could have been better.
However, the background music is helpful in maintaining the atmosphere of the film.
Direction
After The Kerala Story, which went to become a sleeper hit with its positive word-of-mouth, director Sudipto Sen has disappointed in 'Bastar: The Naxal Story' as good direction was lacking in many places. We also found that the storyline was not properly aligned.
There are some twists and turns in the story, which actually distract from the real issue.
Verdict
It is an average film. It touches some real issues of the country but fails to depict it properly on the big screens. But if wants to get a new prospective of Naxalism in India, then this film is for you.
