Krish Jagarlamudi: ‘Ghaati’ channelises Anushka Shetty’s ability to portray vulnerability and strength

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Director Krish Jagarlamudi remembers a time when, as a young moviegoer, he would surrender to the vision that unfolded on screen as the lights went off in a cinema hall. He retains that ability to enjoy the movie-watching experience to this day, but is aware of the shift in the audience’s mindset. “Today’s audience is aware of technicalities and watches a film with a ‘let me see how you have made this’ mindset,” he smiles. However, he is confident that his Telugu film Ghaati, starring Anushka Shetty and Vikram Prabhu, will engage viewers.

Settling down to talk amid post-production work at Hyderabad’s Sarathi Studios, he discusses his collaboration with Anushka Shetty, with whom he had worked in Vedam (2010). “We’ve been good friends; she would jokingly suggest we do a ‘Saroja 2’ (her character in Vedam). I wanted to explore something new.”

The ghats and its people

In Ghaati, Anushka plays a character from a village in the Eastern Ghats, near the Andhra-Odisha border. The story took shape when Krish visited the Deomali Hills and surrounding areas in Koraput district, Odisha. He was intrigued by what he had heard from journalist-turned-novelist Chintakindi Srinivas Rao about the region.

The crew

The crew of Ghaati is a mix of seasoned professionals such as production designer Thota Tharani and costume designer Aishwarya Rajiv, alongside emerging technicians, mentions Krish. Manojh Reddy Katasani, who worked on Krish’s web series Masti’s, makes his feature film debut as director of photography. Sagar Nagavelli debuts as a music composer, Ram Krishan handles the action choreography and Venkata Swamy Nakka, Chanakya Reddy Toorupu handle the editing. Krish adds, “We worked with the Budapest orchestra and Tapas Nayak’s sound mixing is an asset. I was impressed by how Sagar was jamming with the band Elysium and later we collaborated on a few jingles. His music will be fresh.”

“The toughest thing for any filmmaker is deciding which story to tell next. Once that’s finalised, the next year or two goes into making the film. I was fascinated by the incidents Chintakindi garu narrated and asked him to develop the story,” says Krish, who worked on the screenplay while Sai Madhav Burra penned the dialogues. “We also had inputs from writers DS Kannan and Ramana Jagarlamudi.”

The script was ready in 2021, but Krish was busy with Pawan Kalyan’sHari Hara Veera Mallu. He eventually stepped away from that project, while Anushka worked on Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty.

When Ghaati went on floors, it opened a new world for Krish and his team. The title refers to the natives of the ghats. “We learnt that the ancestors of these villagers helped lay roads during the British era. They can carry 100–150 kilograms on their shoulders while trekking up the mountains. The story examines what happens when they are exploited.”

Krish Jagarlamudi

Krish Jagarlamudi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This is Anushka’s 49th film. Her character arc, Krish explains, moves from victim to criminal and finally to a “legend” who rises against oppressors. “Sweety, as her friends call her, can be gentle like the breeze and yet powerful. This character harnesses that ability to show both vulnerability and strength.”

Tamil actor Vikram Prabhu is cast opposite Anushka. Krish admires the brooding intensity he conveys through his eyes: “I’ve followed his work since Kumki, and felt he would be the right fit.”

Krish is known for being particular about his cast. “It’s magical when the right actors, crew, and a story with conflict come together. Sometimes I won’t film for days or weeks until I find the right actors. For Vedam, I waited to finalise Nagaiah garu for the elderly character, even though Allu Arjun, Manoj, and Anushka were available. I was equally particular with Ghaati. Chaitanya Rao and Ravindra Vijay play pivotal roles. My team was sceptical about Chaitanya, often seen in soft-spoken roles, playing an antagonist. After a few meetings, they understood my vision. Having seen Ravindra Vijay in Mangalavaram and other films, I was eager to work with him.”

Native flavour

The natives of Koraput district are integral to Ghaati. For a scene requiring 100 junior actors, 50 locals were initially hired, with the rest brought in from Visakhapatnam. “We thought we would have to train the locals. To our surprise, they weren’t afraid of the camera. By the fifth day, I decided to hire more people from the villages. This also solved the accommodation issue for outsiders.”

Vikram Prabhu and Anushka Shetty in ‘Ghaati’

Vikram Prabhu and Anushka Shetty in ‘Ghaati’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Krish recalls how Salim, a local, worked in the direction department for 18 days. “He was translating my instructions into Odia for the junior artistes. I then asked him to be an assistant director.” The experience, he says, was humbling. “People on the hills, with their natural survival skills, are a revelation.”

Some crew members camped uphill at night to set up equipment for sunrise shoots. “Anushka, Vikram, and others would arrive around 4.45 to 5am, and we would begin work. It was beautiful.”

Krish remains captivated by the locations. Shooting on real sites also helped maintain authenticity. “We used visual effects only to enhance what was already beautiful.”

A ghazal

Krish’s last feature film was Konda Polam (2021). Intermittently, he had been busy as the creator of a few web series. Asked if he had analysed the reasons for the lukewarm response to Konda Polam, he says, “I had always wanted to adapt a novel. I am glad I could adapt Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy’s novel Konda Polam. The film was released at a time when people were eager to watch spectacle films, soon after the lockdowns. Music composer MM Keeravani likened Konda Polam to a ghazal. The film, till date, has its own admirers even though it may not have worked for some sections of the audience.”

Metamorphosis

Krish is confident that Ghaati will challenge the notion that female-centric films have limited box office potential in a post-pandemic landscape dominated by male-led action entertainers. “Anushka has played iconic characters since her debut — in Arundhati, Rudhrama Devi, Baahubali, Bhaagamathie… and all my films have been in the mainstream zone. So we are confident,” says Krish, adding that at the scripting stage, he does not focus on box office considerations. “My focus is on the story, character arcs, music, and how entertaining the narrative is. Developing a script is like watching the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.”

As a parting shot, Krish adds, “The roar of the ‘ghaatis’ will have a universal connect.”

(Ghaati is scheduled to release in theatres on September 5)

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