Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah on dark-thriller 'Jalsa': It's a film that comes from heart

"A celebration", "human-oriented film", "not the film from brain, but the heart"— know what Amazon Prime Video's JALSA exactly means to Shefali Shah and Vidya Balan.

NEW DELHI: 'Jalsa', an Amazon Prime Video original, has also been creating a lot of buzz, especially after the release of the trailer that gave the audience a glimpse of how intriguing this story is going to be. Known for acing every character with her acting, Vidya Balan plays the role of Maya, a journalist in the film. Directed by Suresh Triveni, the drama thriller also stars the powerful performer, Shefali Shah as Rukhsana, Maya's cook and is all set to release on March 18 on the platform. 

Ahead of the release, sharing their views on ‘Jalsa’, Vidya Balan says, "Jalsa is a celebration and I think we keep on talking – You should celebrate every single day. At the end of the film, you will realize that you have been through something and you emerge on the other side of it. It is like a celebration. Every little challenge you overcome is a 'Jalsa' or rather requires a 'Jalsa'. It's a celebration of life with its ups and downs."

"I think one thing all will take away is the fact that no one is infallible, we are all human and we are bound to something and that's what makes us human. It is to fall and get on your own feet that life is all about," she adds. 

On her decision to do a project like 'Jalsa', Shefali informs, "For me, 'Jalsa' is not the film that comes from the brain, it's the film that comes from the heart. So when Suresh called me, he said, 'My name is Suresh Triveni, I have directed Tumhari Sulu'. My first reaction was, I loved the film and I admire your work so much. And he said, 'I am working on a story and I can send you the first draft'. I said please send me right away. I read it, I spoke to him. I asked him can you please tell me more about her. And then it goes on. I read the storyline and I said yes."

"For me, 'Jalsa' is not the film that comes from the brain, it’s the film that comes from the heart. Secondly, I don’t see 'Jalsa' as a film… I see it as a human relationship and not like a woman-oriented film. I see it as a human-oriented film,” she adds. 

Just ahead of its release, the makers of the highly-anticipated drama-thriller had organised a special screening of Amazon Prime Video's original film for the family of the cast and crew in Mumbai, which undoubtedly, received overwhelming response. 

Replete with spellbinding performances and a nerve-wracking storyline, ‘Jalsa’ promises to keep you at the edge, leaving you wanting for more. Apart from Vidya and Shefali, the movie features an ensemble cast of actors like Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidharti Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Shafeen Patel and Surya Kasibhatla.

‘Jalsa’ will have a global premiere on Amazon Prime Video on March 18, 2022, in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide.