The independent Telugu-language feature “Nadhi” has completed production after a yearlong shoot, with a cast led by acclaimed actor-director Nandita Das and veteran performer Nasser, it was revealed at the American Film Market (AFM).
Set in the forests of Andhra Pradesh, southern India, during the mid-20th century, the film follows an ancient tribe struggling to maintain its traditional way of life as members are drawn toward modernity following the construction of a dam.
Writer-director Aditya Vempaty, a San Francisco Bay Area native who graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, developed the project after connecting with the Koya tribe of India’s Eastern Ghats, to which he traces his ancestry. The filmmaker spent months living in the Koya heartland across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, building relationships with community members who later participated in the production.
“I wanted to tell a story that examines changing our relationship to nature and each other as the world develops around us,” Vempaty said.
The production shot on location at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats and outside Hyderabad, working closely with local communities to recreate the period setting. The filmmaking team constructed a period-authentic village along with sets, wardrobe and props, while locals guided them to undisturbed wilderness locations.
Das, known for directing “Firaaq,” “Manto” and “Zwigato,” and for acting in “Fire” and “Bawandar,” returns to acting as village matriarch Devi. Her character’s grown children are portrayed by Maharshi Vudhya, Anusha Nuthula and Jagan Yogiraj. The ensemble also includes Mia Maelzer (“Stolen”) and Saileela. Nasser, whose credits include “Nayakan” and the “Baahubali” franchise, plays Sathya Mohan, a government officer bridging the film’s past and present timelines.
The cast blends non-actors from the Koya community with trained performers from Hyderabad’s theater scene.
Producers are Brendan Bennett, Krishna Mamidibathula and Vempaty, with Radha Krishna Nambu executive producing through FrameByFrame Pictures. Harish CP Yarlagadda, chair of Malaxmi Group, Hyderabad, co-produced.
Principal photography began in October last year and extended over 12 months to capture seasonal changes across the landscape.