'Sherni' trailer drops: It's time for Vidya Balan 'to roar!'
Amazon Prime Video dropped the trailer for Sherni today, and Vidya Balan does a smart job here. Directed by Amit Masurkar and written by Aastha Tiku, the film features Balan as an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer who has to "battle" a man-eater tigress and patriarchy, to re-establish a balance between human beings and nature. Sherni is set to premiere digitally on June 18.
Balan has her priorities straight, she focuses on local community
The 146-second-long clip opens in an undisclosed jungle community, where a tiger is on the loose, and people are turning up dead. To solve the situation, a "lady officer" (Balan) is summoned, much to the chagrin of various men in power. While the authority's top priority is the tigress (for its popular status), Balan wants to assure that the local community can survive.
'Even in the dense jungle, the tigress knows her way'
A vain hunter, egoistic officials, and a male savior syndrome carrier officer show up as obstructions. When the issues seem to tightly surround Balan's character, we are given hope as the words. "Even in the dense jungle, the tigress knows her way," appear on the screen. Vijay Raaz, Neeraj Kabi, Ila Arun, Sharat Saxena, and Brijendra Kala are spotted as well, in pivotal roles.
Plight of women's agency, jungle community get highlighted too
Makers deliberately throw several sexist comments at Balan from both men and women, in a span of two minutes. The IFS officer either fakes ignorance by plugging earphones or plants a sarcastic smile in response, promising a realistic portrayal. Inherent misogyny aside, we get a glimpse of the said local community in the trailer, who depend on the jungle for their sustenance.
Here is what the official summary says
The YouTube summary of the trailer says, "A jaded forest officer (Vidya Balan) leads a team of trackers and locals intending to capture an unsettled tigress, while battling intense obstacles and pressures, both natural and man-made," and the visuals manage to successfully convey that mood.
'Be courageous. Be strong. Be fearless,' read Balan's message
Announcing the trailer launch, the Shakuntala Devi star said, "Be courageous. Be strong. Be fearless. It's time for the #Sherni to roar!" To note, makers had released the film's teaser on May 31, after dropping the first look poster earlier last month. That time, the actress had written, "Fearless as she steps out into the world! Meet #SherniOnPrime in June," while introducing her character.
