Nandita Das Telugu Film Nadhi Wraps Up Production

The Telugu film Nadhi has completed a year‑long shoot and wrapped up production, announced at the American Film Market (AFM) and reported by Variety. Acclaimed actor‑director Nandita Das and veteran performer Nasser headline the project. Set in the forests of Andhra Pradesh during the mid‑20th century, the story follows an ancient tribe battling to preserve its traditional way of life amid modernization.

The narrative revolves around a tribe caught between heritage and the lure of modernity after a dam is constructed near their habitat. Writer‑director Aditya Vempaty, of Koya ancestry, spent months living in the Koya heartland to authentically capture their culture. He remarked, “I wanted to tell a story that examines changing our relationship to nature and each other as the world develops around us.”

Nandita Das, known for directing films like Firaaq, Manto, and Zwigato, essays the role of Devi. Her character’s grown children are portrayed by Maharshi Vudhya, Anusha Nuthula, and Jagan Yogiraj, while the cast also includes Mia Maelzer and Saileela. Nasser plays government officer Sathya Mohan, bridging the film’s past and present timelines. The ensemble mixes non‑actors from the Koya community with trained Hyderabad theater artists.

Production design leveraged the foothills of the Eastern Ghats and locations outside Hyderabad, working closely with local communities to recreate an authentic period village. Producers Brendan Bennett, Krishna Mamidibathula, and Vempaty teamed up, with Radha Krishna Nambu serving as executive producer through FrameByFrame Pictures.