A peek into the mysterious world of the Naga Sadhus
Abhshek Nama’s ‘Nagabandham’ seeks to give Gen Z insights into Bhakti tradition and the glory of unique group of ascetics
It seems to be the season of ascetics in Tollywood. Producer-turned-director Abhishek Nama is making a magnum opus about the enigmatic world of Naga Sadhus. His film Nagabandham, he says, is “probably the first time that the uniqueness of the cult is being explored.”
Talking about the recent mystical trend, he says, “Aghoris are taking up a lot of space in Telugu movies, but we are focussing on Naga Sadhus, a group of ascetics who have renounced the materialistic world to attain moksha.”
He adds, “One unique characteristic of these saints is the fact that they remain naked even in biting cold.” Abhishek has roped in actor Virat Karna to play the protagonist and is planning to get a big star to play one of the revered saints in the film. “We have shot 30% of the film on specially-erected sets,” he shares. Was he inspired by socio-fantasies like Karthikeya 2 and HanuMan? “Socio-fantasies are the order of the day and work better than old-fashioned mythological films with Gen Z viewers,” he adds.
Abhishek, who has directed spy thriller Devil, says, “We intend to deliver a visual spectacle with a divine touch. We have used AI technology to recreate the mystical world without storyboard artists. It has helped the art director to recreate elegant sets, props and artifacts without much fuss.”
