Sherni trailer out: Vidya Balan takes on the wild

Amazon Prime Video has released the trailer for Sherni. Directed by Amit V Masurkar, the film stars Vidya Balan as a forest officer striving for balance in a world of man-animal conflict.

Sherni has heavy shades of Amit’s previous film, Newton. This one, too, is about an honest officer plunged into a complex and inimical world. In place of Pankaj Tripathi’s standoffish CRPF officer, there’s Sarat Saxena as a burly ranger. “What’s your plan?” Vidya asks him. “No plan,” he replies, pointing to his head. “It’s God's gift.”

Like Newton, we get a sense of a jungle community on the margins, with multiple characters and conflicts. Vijay Raaz, Neeraj Kabi, Ila Arun and Brijendra Kala stand out in a trailer brimming with interlocking tensions. “People here depend on the jungle...” Vijay’s character tells an official. “We should not lose this balance.”

Tellingly, Amit does not include a shot of a real tiger in the trailer, making clear this isn't an action-adventure film. Instead, an intertitle is used to underline the feline metaphor. “Even in the dense jungle,” it reads. “The tigress knows her way.”

“Ever since I first heard the story of Sherni, I found the world fascinating and so far removed from my own,” Vidya said in a statement. “Also the character I play, Vidya is a woman of few words but many dimensions. The film deals with a sensitive topic that touches upon respect, mutual understanding, and co-existence, not just between man-animal, but between humans as well."

Director Amit Masurkar described the film ‘an intricately-layered story’ exploring ‘complex issues of conflict between humankind and animals.’ 

“Vidya Balan plays a mid-level forest officer who despite obstacles and pressures, works with her team and local allies to preserve a balance in the environment. Working with her, the amazing ensemble cast and the uber-talented crew has been an incredible experience for me,” the filmmaker said.

Sherni is releasing on Amazon Prime Video June 18, 2021.