Singer and music composer Palaash Muchhal’s debut directorial venture Ardh (2022) will be streamed on Zee5 from 10 June.
An exclusive AVOD (advertising-based video-on-demand) direct-to-digital free-to-stream film, Ardh stars Rajpal Yadav, Rubina Dilaik, Hiten Tejwani and Kulbhushan Kharbanda.
Ardh is the story of a small-town guy, Shiva (Rajpal Yadav), who is struggling to become an actor in the city of dreams, Mumbai, despite being a great theatre actor.
The trailer shows how to survive in the city and earn his bread and butter, he pretends to be a transgender (Parvati) with the support of his wife (Rubina Dilaik) and seeks money in the local trains and at traffic signals.
Despite multiple rejections and acute poverty, Shiva remains focused on his dream. The long trailer, full of dramatic moments, suggests the film highlights the heights and lows of his journey.
Actor Jackie Shroff has done the voice-over and there are six songs in the film, which have been composed by the director himself. Sonu Nigam, Armaan Malik, Palak Muchhal, Rekha Bhardwaj, Rubina Dilaik, Divya Kumar, Parry G and Amit Mishra have lent their voices for the songs.
“Ardh is the story of almost every dreamer in Mumbai and we have tried to keep the movie as close to reality as possible,” said the director, who has also written the film. “It's something that a lot of people will connect to as it's the story of the people.”
According to Yadav, Ardh is the story of those people who struggle day and night to make their dreams come true. The actor said, “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.”
Working on her debut project, Big Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik was prepared to soak in the experience and the learning that would be part of the journey. “I stepped in with a blank slate, and I feel secure to have started my new innings with a visionary like Palaash and a talented co-star as Rajpal sir,” she said.
Manish Kalra, chief business officer, Zee5 India, said, “As the multilingual storyteller of India and Bharat alike, we take pride in focusing on entertainment inclusion by partnering with new-age storytellers who have diverse and entertaining stories to tell.”
Kalra believes Ardh is a unique story with Rajpal Yadav in a never-seen-before avatar. “The story provides a new spin on life in the city of dreams," he said. "With Ardh being available on AVOD, we are confident that the movie will appeal to many viewers in India and across the world.”
Watch the trailer below and let us know if you are keen to watch Ardh.