RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2025, GHAATI MARKS THE POWERFUL RETURN OF ANUSHKA SHETTY TO THE BIG SCREEN AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS. DIRECTED BY KRISH JAGARLAMUDI AND STREAMING NOW ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, THIS TELUGU-LANGUAGE ACTION DRAMA UNFOLDS IN THE MYSTICAL YET HARSH TERRAIN OF THE EASTERN GHATS, STRADDLING THE ANDHRA–ODISHA BORDER. WITH THEMES OF REBELLION, REVENGE, AND RESILIENCE, GHAATI EXPLORES THE JOURNEY OF SHEELAVATHI—A WOMAN BORN OF CANNABIS AND DESTINED TO FIGHT FOR HER PEOPLE.
IS GHAATI A SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR TO ARUNDHATI (2009)? OR DOES IT CARVE A NEW IDENTITY FOR ANUSHKA’S WARRIOR PERSONA? LET’S DIVE INTO THIS LAYERED TALE OF TRIBAL DEFIANCE.
PLOT SUMMARY
SET IN A FICTIONAL YET CULTURALLY RICH REGION CALLED GHAATI, THE FILM INTRODUCES US TO A TRIBAL FARMING COMMUNITY OPPRESSED BY THE RUTHLESS NAIDU BROTHERS. THESE ANTAGONISTS FORCE THE GHAATIS INTO CULTIVATING A POTENT CANNABIS STRAIN NAMED “SHEELAVATHI,” FORBIDDING THEM FROM GROWING FOOD OR SEEKING OTHER LIVELIHOODS.
SHEELAVATHI (ANUSHKA SHETTY), BORN OF THIS VERY STRAIN, POSSESSES SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH AND A FIERCE SPIRIT. ALONGSIDE HER LOVER DESI RAJU (VIKRAM PRABHU), SHE DREAMS OF LIBERATING HER PEOPLE. BUT WHEN DESI RAJU IS BRUTALLY MURDERED DURING A REVOLT, SHEELAVATHI TRANSFORMS FROM A PROTECTOR TO A VENGEFUL FORCE.
THE NARRATIVE OSCILLATES BETWEEN MYSTICAL REALISM AND GROUNDED SOCIAL COMMENTARY, CULMINATING IN A SHOWDOWN THAT’S BOTH SYMBOLIC AND VISCERAL.
DIRECTION ✓ SCREENPLAY
KRISH JAGARLAMUDI’S DIRECTION IS AMBITIOUS, BLENDING FOLKLORE, TRIBAL POLITICS, AND FEMINIST RAGE. THE SCREENPLAY, PENNED BY CHINTAKINDI SRINIVAS RAO, BUILDS A TEXTURED WORLD IN THE FIRST HALF—RICH IN DIALECTS, RITUALS, AND LANDSCAPES.
HOWEVER, THE SECOND HALF LEANS INTO MELODRAMA, WITH PREDICTABLE REVENGE TROPES AND EXTENDED ACTION SEQUENCES. WHILE THE PACING FALTERS AT TIMES, KRISH’S VISION REMAINS CLEAR: TO PORTRAY A WOMAN’S JOURNEY FROM OPPRESSION TO EMPOWERMENT.
ACTING ✓ PERFORMANCES
ANUSHKA SHETTY IS THE SOUL OF GHAATI. HER PORTRAYAL OF SHEELAVATHI IS LAYERED—FIERCE, VULNERABLE, ROMANTIC, AND RUTHLESS. WHETHER SHE’S DUNKING A VILLAIN IN BLACK LIQUID OR SERENADING DESI RAJU, SHETTY COMMANDS THE SCREEN WITH QUIET INTENSITY.
VIKRAM PRABHU, IN HIS TELUGU DEBUT, DELIVERS A SINCERE PERFORMANCE AS DESI RAJU, THOUGH HIS CHARACTER FEELS UNDERUTILIZED. CHAITANYA RAO MADADI SURPRISES AS KUNDHUL NAIDU, BRINGING ECCENTRIC MENACE TO THE ANTAGONIST ROLE. RAVINDRA VIJAY AS KAASTALA NAIDU ADDS DEPTH TO THE VILLAINY.
SUPPORTING ACTORS LIKE JAGAPATHI BABU, JISSHU SENGUPTA, AND RAJU SUNDARAM ROUND OUT THE ENSEMBLE EFFECTIVELY.
CINEMATOGRAPHY ✓ VISUALS
MANOJH REDDY KATASANI’S CINEMATOGRAPHY CAPTURES THE RUGGED BEAUTY OF THE EASTERN GHATS WITH SWEEPING DRONE SHOTS AND EARTHY PALETTES. THE CONTRAST BETWEEN LUSH LANDSCAPES AND GRIM TRIBAL OPPRESSION IS VISUALLY COMPELLING.
THE MYSTICAL ELEMENTS—LIKE SHEELAVATHI’S ORIGIN—ARE PORTRAYED WITH STYLIZED LIGHTING AND SYMBOLIC IMAGERY, ENHANCING THE FILM’S MYTHIC TONE.
MUSIC ✓ SOUND DESIGN
NAGAVELLI VIDYA SAGAR’S BACKGROUND SCORE COMPLEMENTS THE EMOTIONAL AND ACTION BEATS WELL. WHILE THE SOUNDTRACK ISN’T GROUNDBREAKING, IT SERVES THE NARRATIVE.
THE INTERVAL SCENE, FEATURING A BRUTAL EMOTIONAL TWIST, IS ELEVATED BY HAUNTING SOUND DESIGN AND INTENSE MUSICAL CUES.
THEMES ✓ SOCIAL COMMENTARY
GHAATI IS MORE THAN A REVENGE DRAMA—IT’S A COMMENTARY ON SYSTEMIC EXPLOITATION, GENDERED VIOLENCE, AND TRIBAL RESILIENCE. THE FILM CRITIQUES FORCED LABOR, ILLEGAL TRADE, AND PATRIARCHAL CONTROL, ALL THROUGH THE LENS OF SHEELAVATHI’S TRANSFORMATION.
IT ALSO RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT IDENTITY—HOW A WOMAN BORN OF CANNABIS BECOMES A SYMBOL OF REBELLION, AND HOW LOVE AND LOSS FUEL RESISTANCE.
AUDIENCE REACTION ✓ COMPARISONS
UPON ITS THEATRICAL RELEASE, GHAATI RECEIVED MIXED REVIEWS. CRITICS PRAISED ANUSHKA’S PERFORMANCE AND THE FILM’S VISUAL TONE BUT CRITICIZED ITS PACING AND PREDICTABILITY.
THE OTT RELEASE ON PRIME VIDEO SPARKED RENEWED INTEREST, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE INTENSE INTERVAL SCENE INVOLVING CHAITANYA RAO AND ANUSHKA. COMPARISONS TO ARUNDHATI ARE INEVITABLE, BUT GHAATI STANDS APART WITH ITS SOCIO-POLITICAL BACKDROP AND SUBDUED ACTION STYLE.
FINAL VERDICT ✓ RATING
GHAATI IS A BOLD ATTEMPT TO BLEND MYTH, ACTION, AND SOCIAL CRITIQUE. WHILE IT STUMBLES IN EXECUTION, IT SUCCEEDS IN SHOWCASING ANUSHKA SHETTY’S RANGE AND KRISH’S WORLD-BUILDING.
FINAL VERDICT: A VISUALLY RICH, EMOTIONALLY CHARGED FILM THAT’S WORTH WATCHING FOR ANUSHKA’S COMMANDING PERFORMANCE AND ITS UNIQUE TRIBAL SETTING.
RATING√ ★★★★☆ {4√5}
