Ghaath

Ambush
The bloody civil war between the Indian central government and the Naxalites, Maoist guerrillas who control whole swathes of land, began over fifty years ago and has since taken on a life of its own in remote jungle regions. Everyday life for those who are fighting and also for the local population is marked by violence and the constant proximity to death. Ghaath reveals the current situation in one of the theatres of war from the perspectives of three different protagonists: a drunken policeman, an informant, and a demoralised guerrilla. For the villagers who are caught between these invisible fronts, every trip to the neighbouring village, a careless sentence, and even the search for a lost dog can become life-threatening.
Relying on his images to depict this beleaguered region in central India, Chhatrapal Ninawe transports the audience into an almost hypnotic atmosphere that heightens both the senses and awareness. An unsparing psychological portrait of a protracted and ruthless civil war that continues to rage.
by Chhatrapal Ninawe
with Jitendra Joshi, Milind Shinde, Janardan Kadam, Dhananjay Mandaokar, Suruchi Adarkar
India 2023 Marathi 126’ Colour

With

  • Jitendra Joshi (Assistant Commissioner Police)
  • Milind Shinde (Raghunath)
  • Janardan Kadam (Perku)
  • Dhananjay Mandaokar (Falgun)
  • Suruchi Adarkar (Kusari)

Crew

Director Chhatrapal Ninawe
Screenplay Chhatrapal Ninawe, Vikas Mudaki
Cinematography Udit Khurana
Editing Navnita Sen
Music Madhur Padwal
Sound Design Manoj M Goswami
Sound Manoj M Goswami
Production Design Dnyandeo Indulkar
Costumes Utpala Barve
Make-Up Serina Tixeira
Casting Neha Sawant, Saurabh Hirkane
Producers Shiladitya Bora, Manish Mundra, Milapsinh Jadeja, Sanyukta Gupta
Co-Producers Ashok Mahapatra, Pranav Chaturvedi, Shilpi Agarwal, Raghav Gupta

Produced by

PayTamasha

Lighthouse Innoventures

UA Kathachitra

Chhatrapal Ninawe

Born in Nagpur, India in 1980, the Indigenous director belongs to a subgroup of the Halba tribe from Central India. He participated in Berlinale Talents in 2022. Ghaath is his debut feature film.

Filmography

2008 A Cheque of Death; short film 2009 Dvandva; medium-length film 2023 Ghaath (Ambush)

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2023