Rajpal Yadav to act as trans person in web film Ardh

Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav will be soon seen in the web film Ardh where he will play a small-town guy named Shiva who struggles to become an actor despite being a thespian.

The trailer of the film was released on Wednesday. The story is set in Mumbai. To make a living in the city, Rajpal's character pretends to be a trans gender person called Parvati with the support of his wife.

Talking about the film, Rajpal Yadav said in a statement, "Ardh is the story of those people who struggle day and night to make their dreams come true. Shiva and Parvati represent those survivors. In our country, there are millions of such Shiva and Parvati who are fighting for their survival. So, this is their story, and I am honoured to be telling it."

The film, directed by Palash Muchhal, also stars Rubina Dilaik, Hiten Tejwani and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. Rubina plays Rajpal's wife in the film.

Rubina Dilaik, who makes her film debut, said, "As my debut project, I am all prepared to soak in the experience and learning that will come along the journey. I have stepped in with a blank slate, and I feel secure to have started my new innings with a visionary like Palash and a talented co-star as Rajpal sir."

Produced by Pal Music and Films and written and directed by Palash Muchhal, the film will be available to stream from June 10 on ZEE5 under the AVOD (Advertising-based Video on Demand) format.

Shedding light on the film's story, director Palash Muchhal said, "Ardh is the story of almost every dreamer in Mumbai and we've tried to keep the movie as close to reality as possible. It's something that a lot of people will connect to as it's the story of the people."