'Ghaati' Movie Review

‘Ghati’ Movie Review

Actors: Anushka Shetty, Vikram Prabhu, Jagapathi Babu, Ravindra Vijay, Chaitanya Rao, Jishu Sengupta, Larisa Bonesi, John Vijay, Raju Sundaram and others

Music: Sagar Nagavelli

Cinematography: Manoj Reddy Katasani

Story: Chintakindi Srinivasa Rao

Lyrics: Sai Madhav Burra

Producers: Rajeev Reddy- Sai Babu Jagarlamudi

Screenplay- Direction: Krish Jagarlamudi

Director Krish Jagarlamudi, who made his mark with his debut film Gamyam and is known for his thought-provoking stories, has now chosen a different path. His latest offering "Ghati" features Anushka Shetty in the lead role. The big question is— does this film carry Krish’s unique statement once again? And after a gap of many years, has Anushka managed to win over the audience on screen? Let’s take a closer look.

Story:

Seelavathi (Anushka) belongs to a small village on the Andhra–Orissa border, where most families survive by working in the ganja trade. Locals call them Ghatis. She even gets her name from a special variety of ganja grown there, known as Shilavathi. She's madly in love with her brother-in-law Desiraju (Vikram Prabhu), who also has feelings for her.

An unexpected incident changes their lives, forcing both to leave the ganja business. While Seelavathi takes up a job as a bus conductor, Desiraju becomes a lab technician. But trouble soon returns in the form of Kashtala Naidu (Ravindra Vijay) and Kundula Naidu (Chaitanya Rao), two brothers who run the Shilavathi ganja empire and show no mercy to those who oppose them. As fate would have it, Seelavathi and Desiraju find themselves at a crossroads with the Naidu brothers. Why did this deadly clash begin? How did their lives take such a sharp turn? And in the end, who comes out on top? The answers unfold in the rest of the film.

Analysis:

Anushka is a starlet whose pull-power is equal to that of top heroes, and Krish is a director known for passion and creativity. With a fresh backdrop that Telugu cinema rarely touches, Ghati had everything in place to become a memorable film. But while Krish picked the right story and cast the perfect actress, he couldn’t give the film his trademark depth. The unique background was there, but the story lacked strong scenes. Anushka’s full potential wasn’t used, and after a point, the film stopped feeling special.

Audiences usually come to theaters just for Anushka. Surprisingly, her role here feels weaker compared to Vikram Prabhu, who played her partner. Until his character enters, Anushka’s presence feels dull. Her underwritten role, unnatural looks, and ordinary performance may leave movie lovers disappointed. Krish, who usually indulges viewers deep into his stories, failed to do so this time. The film begins well, but soon slips into a routine path, losing the excitement of what comes next.

The beginning of the film raises curiosity with visuals of marijuana farming in the Western Ghats, its transport by Ghatis, and the massive business behind it. The interval episode works fairly well, with a secret mission and conflict against villains. But post-interval, the film loses its spark. The revenge angle feels predictable, action scenes lack freshness, and the climax fails to create a strong impact.

Overall, Ghati offers some moments, especially in the first half and during the interval block. But the emotional connection is missing, and Anushka’s character never gets the powerful elevation it needed. If you want to watch her return to the screen, this film may work. But if you expect the magic of an Anushka–Krish combination, you may walk away disappointed.

Performances: For Anushka fans, Ghati brings both joy and disappointment. Joy because she is back on the big screen after years, but disappointment because the magic of her old charm is missing. Her looks change from scene to scene, and she doesn’t appear natural. Performance-wise, she is fine in parts, and her action sequence after the interval gives some relief. But overall, her role does not match the weight of her image.

Vikram Prabhu, who played Desiraju, stands out strongly. His role had good depth, and he made the most of it. Chaitanya Rao and Ravindra Vijay delivered solid performances as villains. However, Chaitanya Rao, who has mostly done soft roles till now, feels a little loud and unconvincing as Kundula Naidu.

Jagapathi Babu’s role is poorly written and comes across as irritating. John Vijay doesn’t bring anything new either. Jisshu Sengupta, Larissa Bonesi, Harish Peradi, and VTV Ganesh also appear, but their parts are routine and forgettable. Except for Vikram Prabhu, no one else leaves a lasting mark, which makes the film weaker.

Technicians:

Music director Sagar Nagavelli makes a dull start with the songs. The energy that comes in the title track Ghati is missing in the rest of the album. Background score works in a few places but feels too loud in many scenes. Cinematographer Manoj Reddy Katasani captures the Western Ghats beautifully. The visuals give the film a rich tint. Production values are strong, and the makers haven’t compromised on quality. Dialogues by Sai Madhav Burra hit hard in parts.

The story written by Chintakindi Srinivasa Rao has an interesting base. But director Krish could not bring his usual magic. Known for subtle narration and strong emotions, he surprisingly went for a loud treatment this time. The freshness people expect from him is largely missing.

Finally: Ghati.. Went off track!

Rating : 2.25/5