Making an independent film is always tough, but making EGWA felt like a real-life adventure. As the director, along with our producer and cameraman, I spent months traveling across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to bring this raw story to life.
The story of EGWA is simple yet powerful: innocent tribals fighting hard to save the massive sacred tree they worship from corporate destruction.
Finding Our ‘Hero’ Tree
Right from the beginning, we were clear about one thing—we did not want any artificial sets. We wanted a standalone, massive tree standing tall without any modern, man-made structures around it, because the tree itself is a main character in the movie.
For nearly six months, whenever we heard rumors of tribal villages, we climbed hills, walked through rough terrain, and searched everywhere. Finally, on the borders of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, we spotted a huge banyan tree. The moment I saw it, I knew it had a soul. We locked that location immediately.
Breaking the Language Barrier
Next came the biggest casting challenge. We wanted original tribals to act in the movie, not professional actors. We visited multiple tribal settlements, but talking to them was very difficult as they spoke their own native dialects. With the help of a local translator, we managed to bridge the communication gap and brought a wonderful tribal group on board.
The Search for Our Lead Actor
Finding our main lead was even harder. We auditioned more than 300 people. Most of them were very shy, would not make eye contact, and had no clue what a movie shoot meant. This search went on for more than a month.
Finally, we found a young tribal guy who worked as a daily wage laborer in the agricultural fields. He was cooperative and managed to understand what we wanted. But getting him ready was a big task:
He was very nervous at first because he had never faced a camera before—some of them had never even seen a television or a movie.
To make him feel at home, we brought his family members along and kept him comfortable.
We trained him and the rest of the team for two months, slowly making the camera a part of their daily life.
From a Small Village to the Global Stage
Once shooting started, these tribal actors gave their absolute best. Their natural innocence and brilliant acting became the biggest asset of our movie.
EGWA started as a small story born in a tiny tribal village, but it has now reached audiences across the globe. It has won 50 plus international awards, the prestigious Telangana State Gaddar Award, and many more accolades are still pouring in.
It taught us one big lesson: Even if a movie is small, when your story is honest, the whole world will open its doors and embrace it.