Gandhi Tatha Chettu

24 January 2025 114 Mins 6.3

About the movie :

Gandhi Tatha Chettu Movie Cast and Crew :

Gandhi Tatha Chettu Budget & Box Office Details :

Gandhi Tatha Chettu Review :

A heartfelt drama about a young girl’s Gandhian struggle to save her grandfather’s tree.

Gandhi Tatha Chettu Awards & Nominations :

N/A

Gandhi Tatha Chettu OTT Details :

Lesser known facts :

Crowdsourced Funding Challenges:

As a crowdsourced indie project, the film faced initial funding hurdles, with contributions from over 100 small donors, including villagers from Rangampet, where it was filmed. Director Padmavathi Malladi noted in a The Hindu interview that some donors contributed as little as ₹500, reflecting grassroots support, but this micro-funding model was barely covered in mainstream promotions.

Sukriti Veni’s Head-Shaving Commitment:

Sukriti Veni Bandreddi, in her debut role as Gandhi, shaved her head for a key scene to authentically portray her character’s resolve, a bold choice for a 13-year-old newcomer. This dedication, which earned her the Best Child Artist award at international festivals, was mentioned in a Times Now report but not widely emphasized in marketing.

Tanikella Bharani’s Voice Improvisation:

The neem tree, voiced by Tanikella Bharani, included improvised lines where Bharani added a poetic lament about human neglect of nature. These unscripted additions, inspired by his own environmental advocacy, were kept in the final cut, as noted in a crew member’s blog, but not highlighted in reviews.

Real Villagers as Extras:

To enhance authenticity, the film cast actual residents of Rangampet, Telangana, as villagers, with many having no prior acting experience. Their natural dialogue delivery, coached minimally to retain spontaneity, was praised by The Hindu for grounding the rural setting, but their casting process was under-discussed.

Inspired by a Local Incident:

The story drew partial inspiration from a real 2010s Telangana village dispute where locals protested a factory’s encroachment on agricultural land. Padmavathi Malladi adapted this into a fictional narrative, focusing on a single tree to simplify the conflict, a detail she shared in a The Hans India interview but which didn’t gain traction.

Minimalist Costume Design:

Gandhi’s wardrobe was deliberately limited to two handwoven kurtas to reflect her character’s simplicity and Gandhian values. The costume team sourced these from local weavers in Telangana, a sustainable choice not publicized but noted in a production assistant’s X post.
Ree’s Regional Music Research: Composer Ree spent weeks studying Telangana folk music, incorporating rare instruments like the kinnera into the soundtrack to evoke regional authenticity. The song “Ole Sandhamama” used a traditional lullaby structure, a detail praised in a Filmy Focus review but not widely covered.

Festival Screening Edits:

The version screened at the Minsk International Film Festival (Listapad) in November 2024 was 10 minutes shorter than the theatrical cut, trimming expository scenes to suit international audiences. This edit, which tightened the pacing, was not mentioned in theatrical promotions, as per a festival attendee’s Reddit comment.

Child Actors’ Training Camp:

Sukriti Veni and the supporting child actors, including Nehal Anand Kunkuma, attended a two-week workshop to learn about Mahatma Gandhi’s principles and rural life. They read excerpts from Gandhi’s autobiography to inform their performances, a preparation process Padmavathi Malladi discussed in a Cinema Express interview but which was overlooked in broader coverage.

Last-Minute Climax Rewrite:

The original climax was more grounded, with Gandhi’s campaign ending in a legal battle. Test screenings found it too dry, leading to a rewrite incorporating a magical realism element, which The New Indian Express noted as veering into fable-like territory but didn’t elaborate on the revision process.

Notes:

Plot Context: Set in the early 2000s in Adluru, Telangana, Gandhi Tatha Chettu follows 13-year-old Gandhi (Sukriti Veni Bandreddi), who, inspired by her grandfather Ramachandrayya’s (Chakrapani Ananda) devotion to Mahatma Gandhi’s principles, leads a non-violent campaign to save a cherished neem tree from a chemical factory’s expansion. The film explores themes of environmental conservation, non-violence, and rural resilience.

Reception:

Released on January 24, 2025, the film earned mixed reviews (2–3/5 stars, 6.3–6.4/10 on IMDb) for its heartfelt message but was criticized for slow pacing, predictable storytelling, and an overly dramatic climax. Critics like The Hindu and The New Indian Express praised its sincerity and Sukriti’s debut, while Ragalahari called it “well-meaning but boring” for its simplistic narrative. It grossed modestly due to limited buzz and competition from bigger releases.

Streaming: Available on Amazon Prime Video and ETV Win since March 21, 2025.

Technical Highlights: Vishwa Devabattula and Srijitha Cheruvupally’s cinematography captured Telangana’s rural charm with natural lighting, while Ree’s music, including songs like “Uthuthi” and “Dhagad Pilla,” added emotional depth. The production design, despite a limited budget, was lauded for authenticity.