Hinterland heartbreak | ZEE5's 'Satrangi: Badle Ka Khel'
A new web series, Satrangi: Badle Ka Khel, highlights the perilous place of Launda Naach performers in the social hierarchy
Satrangi: Badle Ka Khel, a crime thriller on ZEE5, has been getting rave reviews for its raw storytelling and powerful performances. Set against the rugged backdrop of rural Uttar Pradesh, the series stars Anshuman Pushkar, Kumud Mishra and Kashish Duggal. Exploring themes of caste discrimination, social stigma and humiliation, it narrates the story of a ‘Launda Naach’ (a folk dance where males dress up as women) performer’s son, who secretly avenges his father’s murder.
Satrangi: Badle Ka Khel, a crime thriller on ZEE5, has been getting rave reviews for its raw storytelling and powerful performances. Set against the rugged backdrop of rural Uttar Pradesh, the series stars Anshuman Pushkar, Kumud Mishra and Kashish Duggal. Exploring themes of caste discrimination, social stigma and humiliation, it narrates the story of a ‘Launda Naach’ (a folk dance where males dress up as women) performer’s son, who secretly avenges his father’s murder.
Having grown up in Varanasi, director Jai Basantu Singh spent a lot of time in eastern UP, where Launda Naach was a big part of local celebrations. As he grew older, Singh began noticing a stark contrast between the celebration of the art form and the treatment of the artists themselves. “The performers who entertained entire communities often faced judgement, ridicule and social exclusion once they stepped off the stage,” he said. Satrangi came from that lived observation.
For Singh, cinema is about what remains unsaid. “By reducing musical cues and bringing the camera closer, we tried to create a more immersive emotional experience where viewers could feel what the characters were going through,” he explains.
