ZEE5 announces the World Digital Premiere of the ‘Animal-Lover’ vigilante action thriller ‘Lakadbaggha’ on 30th June 2023

~ Starring Anshuman Jha, Ridhi Dogra and Milind Soman in prominent roles, the film is a part of the AVOD slate and will be free to stream ~

National, 12th June 2023: ZEE5, India’s largest home-grown video streaming platform and multilingual storyteller, announced the world digital premiere of Lakadbaggha on 30th June 2023. Produced by First Ray Films, the first part of this animal lover vigilante universe is directed by Victor Mukherjee and stars credible and popular names like Anshuman Jha, Ridhi Dogra, Milind Soman and Paresh Pahuja in pivotal roles. The film is a part of the AVOD slate and will be free to stream on the platform from 30th June 2023. The action of the film is done by ‘Ong-Bak’ fame Kecha Kamphakdee and Jha trained in martial arts form ‘Krav Maga’ with Tsahi Shemesh in New York who has previously trained the Avengers cast.

Set in Kolkata, the film follows Arjun (Anshuman Jha), a loner who teaches martial arts to children during the day and turns into a saviour of the street dogs during the night. During his hunt for a lost dog, he comes across an endangered species of an Indian striped hyena (Lakadbaggha) and learns about an illegal animal trade operation in Kolkata. Will he be able to reunite with his dog while also helping other animals or will he be chased down by crime branch officer Akshara (Riddhi Dogra) who is tasked with the responsibility to find the hooded vigilante whose identity remains mysterious.

A love letter to dogs, Lakadbaggha is the story of an animal lover vigilante vs an animal abuser kingpin. This action film deals with the underbelly of illegal animal trade and the inhuman treatment of the voiceless creatures. The film had its World Premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival and its International Premiere at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival. After an impressive run at the box office, Lakadbaggha is set to stream for free on ZEE5 from 30th June.

Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India said, “At ZEE5, we are happy to present Lakadbaggha, a vigilante film which will strike a chord with the dog lovers and tug at their heart strings. We hope that the film reaches as many people as possible as it will be free to stream as part of the AVOD library”.

Director Victor Mukherjee said, “You often read about cruelty against animals, but no one is doing anything about it. So, we wanted to create a commercial film for our voiceless friends and dedicate it to them. We want people to realise that all it takes is just one act of kindness. We are proud of our labour of love however for us to drive the message efficiently, we want as many people as possible to watch the film. While Lakadbaggha received a great response at the film festivals and during its theatrical run but now with its World Digital Premiere on ZEE5, I hope that the film reaches more people and sparks a positive change in them”.

Actor Anshuman Jha said, “Animals and action are two of my biggest passions. This film is a culmination of both. It’s high time we treat animal insensitivity as a crime and take action against it. It is disheartening that animal cruelty laws aren’t taken very seriously. People often harass or torture animals for trading purpose or for entertainment and get away with it. Such people deserve harsh punishment and Lakadbaggha acts like an eye-opener. The film will entertain you, make you more considerate towards these voiceless creatures and make us co-habit with them. I urge all animal lovers to watch Lakadbaggha with their friends and family”.

Actor Ridhi Dogra said, “Lakadbaggha is my debut feature film, and I could not have asked for a better subject. It’s a unique vigilante story which has not b…