Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah's 'Jalsa' trailer presents gripping tale set in a world of deceit and secrets

`Jalsa` Trailer Launch Picture Courtesy: Yogen Shah

The trailer of upcoming thriller 'Jalsa' starring Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah was unveiled on Wednesday. The trailer presents a world with chaos around its two lead characters - Maya essayed by Vidya and Rukshana played by Shefali.

The trailer starts off with a hit and run incident before it introduces its lead characters - Maya Menon, who happens to be a journalist, and Rukshana, the mother of the girl who loses her life in the accident. It then spirals into a world of secrets and lies, truths and deceit.

Talking about the film, Vidya Balan said in a statement, "With every film I do, my attempt is to tell a new story and be a different person from the characters I've played so far, and 'Jalsa' ticked those boxes. 'Jalsa' gave me the opportunity to delve into the gray and it's been a very challenging, enriching, and fulfilling experience for me as an actor."

The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishnan Kumar, Abundantia Entertainment, Vikram Malhotra, Shikhaa Sharma and Suresh Triveni, has been directed by Suresh Triveni, who has earlier worked with Vidya on 'Tumhari Sulu'.

On her second collaboration with Suresh, Vidya continued saying, "Also teaming up with Suresh again on a film that is poles apart from our previous project - 'Tumhari Sulu', was so exciting. This is the third time that I've worked with Abundantia Entertainment and with Amazon Prime Video and I have to say the experience has been exceptional, as it was with the first two films."

"Needless to say, I cannot wait for people to watch Jalsa on Amazon Prime Video when it drops on March 18. And working with a bunch of wonderful actors, particularly Shefali Shah has been a highlight for me", the 'Parineeta' actress added.

In addition to Vidya and Shefali, 'Jalsa' also stars a powerful line-up of actors like Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Surya Kasibhatla and Shafeen Patel.

Shefali Shah shared that her role in the film is a complete departure from what she has been doing of late, "There are certain stories, you can't not be a part of, 'Jalsa' was one such experience for me. Unlike my recent portrayals, my role as Rukshana in 'Jalsa' is a complete contrast."

She maintains that the core emotions of the character of a mother seeking justice for her daughter has been a fulfilling experience for her, "However, the vulnerabilities and dilemmas of a mother are like any other and living through them has been really fulfilling as an artiste. It feels great to know that our hard work shall reach such a huge number of viewers at once and I am sure Jalsa will resonate with them."

Talking about his recent directorial Suresh Triveni shared, "'Jalsa' is a drama peppered with the right amount of thrill. The film attempts to deliver a compelling story of secrets, truths, ironies laced with powerful, emotionally complex performances by Vidya and Shefali and the rest of the ensemble."

"My attempt is to make a film that is engaging and connects with a wider audience. I am thankful to my producers, T-Series and Vikram Malhotra from Abundantia who believed in my vision as well as Prime Video for enabling us to take Jalsa to a global audience and I hope the film manages to connect with them", he added.

The film is set to have a global premiere on Prime Video on March 18.