Ghaati Review

Very few filmmakers are like Scorsese or Eastwood, who sustain their craft with unwavering consistency across decades. Most fizzle out after a few initial sparks. Watching Ghaati, you can't but help feel that Krish Jagarlamudi has lost his mojo and slipped onto a regressive path.

Despite the strong backing of the Tollywood fraternity and the hype of Krish reuniting with Anushka Shetty after Vedam, Ghaati struggles to hold momentum. Krish seems intent on turning every narrative beat into an action-heavy spectacle, ultimately crafting what feels like The Anushka Shetty Show. In doing so, he succeeds - but only at the expense of the film itself.

At the heart of Ghaati lies the tale of Sheelavathi (Anushka Shetty) and Desi Raju (Vikram Prabhu), lovers from the Ghaati community of the Eastern Ghats. Their people, long trapped in poverty and oppression, survive by cultivating cannabis in the harsh mountain terrain and supplying it to powerful cartels. Bereft of alternatives, Sheelavathi and Desi Raju step into the trade themselves, this time by processing the cannabis and running their own business. But defying the tycoons comes at a steep price - a price that reshapes their love and their lives.

The film opens on a promising note, but with each passing scene, it feels as though Krish is undoing his own self. Known for weaving immersive narratives in unusual backdrops, he instead delivers something painfully formulaic here. After a few minutes into the movie, you can predict what is going to happen. And it does happen. The only thing left to the imagination is how. Even that dies down post-interval. You know the modus operandi.

It almost seems as if Krish remains enchanted by Anushka's Devasena persona from Baahubali. Much of how she walks, many of her gestures, and even full sequences appear like direct echoes of that role. Strip her performance down to a sketch, and it resembles a vintage Vijayashanti film, where the heroine single-handedly thrashes the villains.

That said, the scale is undeniably grand - the action choreography is sleek, and the frames are meticulously designed. But Sheelavathi is not just another heroine; she is written like a superwoman, fuelled by her own fiery will and seemingly always high on Sheelavathi, a potent variety of cannabis.

Now, some facts. The truth is that Odisha is one of the major sources of cannabis in the country. Illegal trade exists, the cartels are active, and Andhra and Telangana fall along the trafficking route. However, Krish turns this into a super-fantasy of cannabis trafficking and cartels - so disconnected from reality that it all feels artificial. Also, the way he portrays the cannabis economy and subculture is quite inaccurate.

That said, credit where it is due. No Odia filmmaker has captured the Eastern Ghats in the Odisha range the way Krish made his cinematographer do. I have visited the Eastern Ghats many times, yet I was still awestruck by the cinematography. At times, it feels as though National Geographic is on an expedition to capture the unknown, or as if the Government of Odisha sponsored the footage for Incredible Odisha. The movie showcases every possible shot and every kind of terrain.

Another commendable aspect is Krish's use of local natives instead of Tollywood extras throughout the film. Equally noteworthy is that the movie is set almost entirely in Odisha, portraying authentic locations and people. He has not cheaped out anywhere - no green screen shots, no studio setting - people and places as real as possible. The Odia characters speak Odia and the Telugu characters speak Telugu, and when they interact, they occasionally mix both languages - just as it happens in the region.

Anushka Shetty delivers what is asked of her, but the writing renders her character monotonous and overly simplistic. Vikram Prabhu fares well as the prime protagonist in the first half, but his role gets reduced to a few action sequences staged in a Pushpa 2-like setting.

Chaitanya Rao Maddadi is outstanding as the main villain. Again, his character arc is also unidirectional. Jagapathi Babu looks convincing as a police officer and executes his part with authority, but he often slips into caricature at the most unlikely moments.

As mentioned earlier, the film is visually stunning. The makers have left no stone unturned in making it a spectacle. The background score and songs, however, are underwhelming.

Eventually, the movie ends up as a string of build-ups and action sequences that never connect with you on an emotional level. You have seen better cinema in this genre many times - the only additions here are the Eastern Ghats, and they would be the primary reason you watch this.