Bheed teaser: Anubhav Sinha’s black-and-white film may remind you of Partition, but is on plight of migrants during Covid

Bheed teaser: The Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar starrer is a story of the time when migrant workers were trying to return to their homes amid the nationwide lockdown in 2020.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | March 3, 2023 01:51 PM IST

4 min read

Bheed will hit the theaters on March 24.

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The first look teaser of Anubhav Sinha’s socio-political thriller, Bheed was unveiled on Friday. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles. The teaser was shared by Rao on social media with the caption, “Hum kahaani bata rahe hai uss waqt ki jab batwara desh mein nahi, samaaj mein hua tha. #Bheed, a story of the darkest times, in black and white. Releasing in cinemas on 24th March 2023.”

The teaser has a monochrome tone and snapshots of people crowding the railway tracks and bus stops. A voiceover, probably done by Manoj Bajpayee, clarifies that the snapshots we are seeing on the screen are not from the Partition of India in 1947, they are from 2020 when thousands of people were stranded after state borders were sealed due to a rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country in 2020.

“This story is of the times when our country was divided, ‘Ek aisa waqt jisne desh ko jadon se hila kar rakh diya tha’ (A time which left the country in a bad position) You might think that we are talking about the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. But you’re mistaken. Ek baar phir hua tha batwara, 2020 mein. (Partition happened once again, in 2020),” a voice in the teaser narrates.

The first-look pictures also reveal more details about Rao and Pednekar’s characters. While Pednekar plays a doctor, Rao will essay the role of a police inspector in the movie.

Bheed is about “Our darkest times in Black and White.” The film will hit the theaters on March 24. The sociopolitical drama has been shot across Lucknow. It is jointly produced by Sinha and Bhushan Kumar.

Check out the first-look pictures from Bheed

(Photo: PR Handout)

Anubhav Sinha said Bheed is a story of the “most perilous times which changed everything for humanity.” Reflecting upon why he decided to make the movie in black and white, he added, “The key objective of shooting the film in black and white was to showcase how the visuals of the social disparity during India’s Lockdown were strikingly similar to what people went through during the 1947 India Partition. This story is about people whose lives changed in a snap and the colours from their lives were lost when the border was drawn within the country.”

Also read | Anubhav Sinha, the director who’s not afraid to take on complex socio-political issues: ‘If I don’t reflect in my own films then…’

Talking about starring in the movie, Rao had earlier said, “I am thrilled to be working with Anubhav Sinha. It’s a matter of great honour and privilege to collaborate with a filmmaker who has such a distinct voice. Also, reuniting with Bhushan Kumar feels like coming back on home turf after the success of Ludo last year.”

Sinha had also expressed the excitement of working with the talents like Rao and Pednekar. He said Pednekar fit the bill for Bheed as she is an assured actor and a woman with a mind. “That’s the quality this character needs to have. I couldn’t have asked for a better cast. These are performers who not only shine every time they are on screen; they elevate the written word to create magic on screen. I am blessed to have the team I am working with,” he said in a statement.

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