- LATEST
- WEBSTORY
- TRENDING
BOLLYWOOD
Bastar, The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen says critics told him they reviewed his film without watching | Exclusive
Sudipto Sen opens up about his new release Bastar: The Naxal Story and the controversy that has surrounded the film as well as his previous release The Kerala Story.
Updated : Mar 18, 2024, 01:09 PM IST | Edited by : Abhimanyu Mathur
 "Sudipto Sen, director of Bastar")
TRENDING NOW
)
IND vs AUS: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to retire from Test cricket after Border-Gavaskar Trophy? Report makes big claim
)
Pushpa 2 trailer: SS Rajamouli reviews Allu Arjun's action-drama, calls it...
)
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan tells Amitabh Bachchan: 'I hope people don't...'
)
Bigg Boss 18: Rajat Dalal says he won 14 medals for India, Shilpa Shirodkar replies 'desh ke liye kuch kiya hai toh...'
)
Meet man, who made first mobile call in India from Nokia 29 years ago, it cost Rs...
)
Amitabh Bachchan praises Abhishek Bachchan's new film, netizens ask 'kash ye Aishwarya...'
)
7 times XXX, Gandii Baat actress Aabha Paul crashed the internet by flaunting her sexy curves
)
Aishwarya Rai describes her 'ideal man' in viral statement amid divorce rumours with Abhishek Bachchan: 'He better be..'
)
Shweta Tiwari's wedding photos with Bigg Boss 13 contestant Vishal Aditya Singh go viral, here's the truth behind them
)
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says he'll do 'whatever it takes' to be there for Aaradhya
)
This Pakistani Influencer's private video leaked online, days after Minahil Malik and Insha Rehman's clips
)
Meet Mathira Khan, Pakistani influencer whose private video leaked after Minahil Malik, Imsha Rehman
)
'Good to be back': After breaking up with Malaika Arora, Arjun Kapoor reunites with his 'partner-in-crime after ages'
)
'It's Abhishek, Aishwarya': Netizens react after celeb divorce lawyer says star couple is facing 'breakdown in marriage'
)
Model's bold dance in towel at India Gate raises eyebrows, netizens say arrest her, watch viral video
Sudipto Sen had a successful 2023 when his controversial film The Kerala Story broke bank and ended up as the most profitable Indian film of the year. Within a year, the filmmaker was back with his next – Bastar: The Naxal Story. The film, which stars Adah Sharma, was released this Friday. The filmmaker talks about its making and the public discourse around the polarising film.
Talking about the quick turnaround between the two films, Sen says, “I encountered both stories around the same time, years ago. Both films evolved together and I was mentally prepared to make both. Coincidentally, The Kerala Story was made first.”
The filmmaker calls Bastar a personal story. “I was born in 1968 and since I was able to understand the world, I have followed what is happening in Naxalism because it is close to where I live. My sister, brother-in-law were involved in it. I saw the evolution of this movement as it moved from north Bengal to Bihar and now Jharkhand and eventually down south,” he recalls.
Like his previous film The Kerala Story, Bastar has also faced allegations of being agenda-driven and called propaganda. Sen says these claims do not faze him. “Some critic told me he did not watch the film but reviewed it,” he says, while talking about The Kerala Story.
Talking about how he deals with the films’ critics, Sen says, “Vipul ji (Vipul Shah, the two films’ producer) was also angry with me when I responded to Naseeruddin Shah after he criticised the film without watching it. I said ‘you abuse me, call me anywhere but watch it first’. At IFFI in Goa, when we were walking the red carpet, two-three young boys and girls were showing placards protesting the film. I asked them if they watched it and they said no. I told them to watch the screening and then make their mind up. But they refused to watch because they said they were told the film is propaganda.”
Bastar: The Naxal Story released in theatres on March 15 to divisive reviews and polarising audience reactions. The film has managed to earn only Rs 2 crore in its opening weekend, far below the Rs 35 crore The Kerala Story had managed.
