“I’m really savoring this quiet period; I don’t want to get caught up in the idea of having ‘won’,” shares Karthik Ghattamneni, the visionary cinematographer and director behind the blockbuster Telugu film, *Mirai*. The movie has spectacularly soared past the ₹100-crore mark globally. On September 12, the day *Mirai* hit theaters, Karthik made a pilgrimage to Tirupati. “That’s always been my way of offering gratitude to the universe once my work is complete,” he explains. “I caught the film on its second day, standing discreetly in a cinema hall, keenly observing what resonated with the audience and what didn’t.” Following the somewhat muted reception of his previous film, *Eagle*, embarking on a superhero fantasy adventure like *Mirai* wasn’t an easy feat. “I’m typically very critical of my own work,” Karthik admits. “But this time, I truly feel we achieved the absolute maximum given our constraints. Pulling off a film of this magnitude feels truly incredible.”
A Conversation with the Universe
The initial spark for *Mirai* ignited almost a decade ago, following the profound loss of a cherished friend, Vijay, to whom the film is lovingly dedicated. “Vijay and I shared a journey through both engineering college and film school,” Karthik reminisces. While traveling to Rameshwaram to immerse his friend’s ashes, Karthik encountered several inexplicable phenomena. “A bird, for instance, flew alongside us for a considerable distance, and the ocean waves touching my feet on the beach felt truly surreal. These profound experiences inspired me to craft a narrative exploring what the universe attempts to communicate. Grounding such a story in the rich tapestry of Indian epics, I believed, would lend it even greater depth.”
Despite this inspiration, a solid story didn’t materialize overnight. Karthik continued his work as a cinematographer on various projects, yet the core idea for *Mirai* persistently resurfaced. By 2022, a narrative began to take shape, and his friend, actor Teja Sajja, expressed strong confidence that it would evolve into a compelling superhero film. “It mirrored the journey of my protagonist, Veda (played by Teja Sajja), venturing into the unknown,” Karthik elaborates. “I felt that if I just kept moving forward, the story would guide itself.” The extensive writing process for the story and screenplay, undertaken by Karthik and co-writer Manibabu Karanam, spanned three years and involved numerous revisions. “The initial draft alone was long enough for a six-hour film!” he laughs. “We meticulously streamlined it, retaining only what was absolutely essential to create an engaging story for audiences of all ages.” *Mirai* tells the gripping tale of a ‘Superyodha,’ a chosen warrior destined to safeguard the ninth *grantha* (sacred book) and prevent a malevolent power from achieving immortality and unleashing chaos upon the world. “We had painstakingly developed the backstory for each of the nine *granthas* – their significance, their guardians, and how they fall into the hands of Manchu Manoj’s character, Mahavir Lama, who wields the formidable Black Sword,” Karthik explains. “However, depicting each takeover on screen would have felt redundant. So, we established that he had already seized six books, then focused on his conquest of the *kala grantham* (book of time) and *sabda grantham* (book of sound). Later in the film, we reveal how he acquired the first book, reserving the epic climactic battle for the ninth, immortality-granting book.”
Teja Sajja in ‘Mirai’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Leveraging AI for Pre-Production Planning
With a reported budget of around ₹60 crore, *Mirai* stands as a testament to achieving remarkable technical polish on a relatively modest scale. Karthik discloses that artificial intelligence played a crucial role in generating sophisticated storyboards during the early planning phases. Production designer Nagendra Tangala joined the project early on, contributing extensive sketches, particularly for the compelling pre-interval sequence involving the magnificent bird, Sampathi. To maximize efficiency and control, an in-house visual effects team was established. “Initially, about 15 individuals worked with us throughout the production, which swelled to a 300-member team during the final two months,” Karthik notes. The primary benefit of having an in-house VFX department was immediate access to footage, though it also presented the challenge of having an overwhelming number of VFX shots from which to choose only the most impactful. The film’s shoot spanned 120 days, with almost half of it employing a “guerrilla” style, managed by a lean crew of just 30 members. “It felt like a full-circle moment, reminiscent of my student days shooting short films; this was like coming full circle,” Karthik reflects, explaining how this agile approach was essential for scenes filmed in challenging locations like the Himalayas and the climactic bridge sequence in Sri Lanka.
“Some days, the weather cooperated perfectly, while on others, we had to exercise immense patience,” Karthik recounts. “Teja genuinely battled against the wind while ascending those mountains – it was all real. For the bridge sequence, we couldn’t deploy extra lights or generators, so we relied entirely on capturing natural light as effectively as possible. Despite all the unknowns, looking through the camera, I felt a strong conviction that we were on the right path. My hope was that the audience would forge a connection with the story we were telling.” A crucial emotional core of the film revolves around the poignant tale of a mother and son who are destined never to meet. Regarding the casting of Shriya Saran as the spiritually-attuned Ambica, who possesses the ability to foresee global threats, Karthik states, “We envisioned a performer who could embody elegance, dignity, and vulnerability simultaneously. It took Shriya some time to fully inhabit the rhythm of her character, but once she did, it was effortless. Her posture, body language, costumes, and the chosen color palette all significantly contributed to the character’s ethereal presence.”
Bringing Worlds to Life: Sets and Digital Extensions
Scenes depicting the Himalayan ashram were shot at a real darbar square in Nepal, enhanced with extensive VFX extensions. Notably, instead of a typical cold mountain color scheme, warm tones were strategically employed to convey a sense of divinity. A sprawling set was meticulously built for Teja’s character’s ‘paradise scrapyard’ — a powerful metaphor for his neglected upbringing before he embarks on his quest for a greater truth. This section utilized a distinct palette of teal and rusted metallic hues. Karthik clarifies the artistic direction: “Generally, we deliberately avoided a dark color palette for the film. Our aim was to make *Mirai* accessible and appealing to children too, which led us to select colors that were neither overly bright nor dull. We worked hard to maintain this delicate balance across costumes, production design, minimal actor makeup, and the final color grading in post-production.” Karthik also acknowledges that upon the release of *Kalki 2898 AD*, his team observed some conceptual and set design similarities and promptly made adjustments to *Mirai* to prevent any feeling of déjà vu for the audience. Among the most formidable challenges was creating the pre-interval sequence featuring the colossal bird, Sampathi. A monumental set was erected in Shamshabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Utilizing animatronics, a 20-foot bird was constructed to act as a crucial visual reference during filming. “The sheer scale of the set was immense,” Karthik explains. “We required an additional 10 feet of space above the bird just to position our lighting equipment, and then we layered on further VFX extensions to dramatically expand the onscreen environment.”
The Evolution of VFX Through Trial and Error
“Each stage of visual effects was a journey of trial and error,” Karthik reveals. “None of us could truly predict how certain elements, like the mystical powder emanating from the black sword or the shimmering gold dust symbolizing knowledge from the ancient books, would ultimately appear. A film of this immense scale and artistic ambition was a groundbreaking experience for me. While we drew inspiration from existing animation, translating our vision into reality proved to be incredibly demanding. For instance, we meticulously refined the VFX for the Sampathi sequence right up until five days before the film’s release. Ensuring the bird’s feathers looked genuinely wet, with water visibly dripping, and rendering the complex scene of Teja emerging from the cave atop Sampathi alone required a staggering 16 days.” Karthik deeply credits veteran editor Sreekar Prasad as one of the film’s most invaluable assets. Despite being a trained editor himself, Karthik entrusted the seasoned professional to guide the pacing this time. “He was instrumental in crafting a fast-paced narrative, crucial for the film’s commercial success,” Karthik emphasizes. While the groundwork for *Mirai 2* is laid, Karthik remains uncertain if it will be his next project. “I’m eager to explore a different creative realm, to direct another spectacle film within a distinct genre,” he muses.