The Telugu film Aaramabham (Beginning), releasing in theatres on May 10, marks a new chapter for some of its team members. Directed by debutant Ajay Nag, an alumnus of Hyderabad-based Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM), it has onboard several alumni of the same film school, including Dev Gandhi Kundu (director of photography), Aditya Tiwari and Preetham Gayatri (editors) and CS Manicka Prabhu (sound designer) — chalking out their journey into the world of feature filmmaking.
The trailer of the 134-minute film caught attention on social media for its intriguing characters and storyline. An adaptation of the Kannada novel Neenu Ninnolage Khaidi (I am a prisoner like you) by Anush A Shetty, Aarambham has a few surprise elements for the audience, says Ajay Nag, who describes the film as a “drama” that discusses prison break, mystery and déjà vu.
“There is something beautiful at the core of the story that made me want to adapt the novel into a film,” he says, adding, “The audience tends to watch a debut director’s film with no predetermined notions and, I think, will be welcoming if presented with a narrative that surprises them.” The film stars Mohan Bhagath, Ravindra Vijay and Supritha Sathyanarayan.
