JOIN USVidya Balan's 'Sherni' skips theatrical release, to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in June
Actor Vidya Balan's upcoming movie Sherni will release directly on Amazon Prime Video next month, skipping the theatrical route, the streamer announced on Monday. This comes at a time when theatres in most states are shut due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sherni, directed by Amit Masurkar, is a drama that revolves around the sensitive issue of human-wildlife conflict. It features Vidya in the role of a principled forest officer, who finds herself in a difficult situation. The star has previously starred in critically-acclaimed films such as Parineeta, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Kahaani and Tumahri Sulu, proving that she is a force to be reckoned with.
The general feeling is that she is the ideal choice for the film.
Amit Masurkar had previously wielded the microphone for Newton, India's official entry to the Oscars in 2017. The film revolved around a young IAS officer's attempts at ensuring free and fair polling in insurgency-affected Chhattisgarh. Sherni is expected to be just as hard-hitting as the Rajkumar Rao-starrer.
The film's cast includes names such as Neeraj Kabi, Sharat Saxena, Vijay Raaz and Ila Arun. The Talvar actor has become a popular name in the OTT space due to his work in the web series Pataal Lok, which featured him in the role of a firebrand journalist.
He was also part of Sacred Games, Taj Mahal 1989, The Final Call and Avirodh. It remains to be seen whether Sherni helps him consolidate his standing in the digital space
This, interestingly, will be the second Vidya movie to release on Amazon Prime Video.
Her previous release Shakuntala Devi, which featured her in the role of the 'Human Computer', too premiered digitally. It received mixed reviews with most critics criticising the execution but praising her performance. It had an impressive cast that included Bengali star Jisshu, 'OTT Sensation' Amit Sadh, and Dangal actor Sanya Malhotra.