The Ordinary Star (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

The Ordinary Star follows Nawazuddin Siddiqui as he studies Ashok, the real occupant of a room connected to Dibakar Banerjee’s short film for Bombay Talkies. Through that process, the documentary considers how filmmakers draw from real lives and what such creative borrowing can cost.

The Ordinary Star is a 2026 documentary from directors Samreen Farooqui and Shabani Hassanwalia. Set around the making of Dibakar Banerjee’s contribution to Bombay Talkies, it focuses on the boundary between a person’s life and the fictional character shaped from it.

At its center is Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is asked to study Ashok, the actual resident of the room where the actor will live while filming Star. The film follows how Ashok’s experiences become part of a wider creative construction involving the actor, the fiction director and documentary filmmakers.

The Ordinary Star movie details

Story without spoilers

The documentary begins with Nawazuddin Siddiqui preparing for the role of Porandar Vithal in Star, Dibakar Banerjee’s short from Bombay Talkies. To understand the part, Siddiqui is asked to spend time studying Ashok, whose real life and living space provide a point of reference for the fictional character.

As the process develops, The Ordinary Star observes how several participants help shape the role. Ashok contributes material from his own life, while the actor, director and documentary filmmakers interpret and reconstruct it for cinema. Rather than treating this only as an account of preparation, the film examines the larger implications of transforming lived experience into fiction.

What to expect

The Ordinary Star is a documentary about acting, filmmaking and the relationship between reality and cinematic invention. Its subject is not simply how an actor prepares, but how a character can emerge through collaboration between a real person and the people adapting elements of that person’s life.

The premise also points toward a reflective examination of the creative process, including its intrusiveness and its dependence on absorbing material from the world around it. The film’s 65-minute runtime gives the subject a focused documentary format, while its connection to Bombay Talkies places the discussion within a specific Indian film production.

Cast and creative team

The Ordinary Star is directed by Samreen Farooqui and Shabani Hassanwalia. Nawazuddin Siddiqui appears in connection with the preparation and construction of the fictional lead character, Porandar Vithal. Dibakar Banerjee is also featured and is identified with the short film Star, made for Bombay Talkies.

• Dibakar Banerjee
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Release and production context

The Ordinary Star is an Indian documentary spoken in Hindi and English. It has a runtime of 1 hour and 5 minutes and is listed as released on October 29, 2026. The supplied production information does not name a production company.

Movies Dock view

The Ordinary Star offers a concentrated look at how cinema can draw on an ordinary person’s experiences while turning them into a fictional performance. Its focus on Siddiqui, Ashok and the making of Star makes it a documentary about both character preparation and the ethical tension built into the act of transforming life into art.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb