Director Sandeep Raj speaks with disarming honesty that is rare to find among filmmakers who are conscious about their every statement in the age of social media scrutiny. Days before the release of his Telugu action romance drama Mowgli, scheduled for December 13, he says, “Completing all the formalities and handing over the film to Qube (for digital theatrical projection) itself feels like an achievement. As a director, this will be my first theatrical release and there’s a lot at stake for my career.”
Sandeep’s debut directorial, the 2020 film Colour Photo, had a digital release during lockdown. The film became a rage for its discussion of class and colour, but the tag ‘OTT director’ was hard to shake off. “Two years later when Colour Photo won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, it gave me the much-needed confidence and people in the industry placed more faith in me.”
Sandeep then wrote the screenplays for Aakashavaani, Heads and Tales, Good Luck Sakhi, produced and wrote Mukhachitram, and acted in a handful of films, including Daaku Maharaaj. “I haven’t worked as an assistant director. On the sets of Daaku Maharaaj, I observed director Bobby’s work and that experience helped me.”
In addition, producing and acting in the ETV Win series AIR: All India Rankers fetched him recognition among college students in the Telugu States: “It is heartening when students recognise me as an actor and also as the director of Colour Photo.”
When asked what took him five years to direct another film, he says nonchalantly, “I realised that I am good at writing screenplays but not good at writing a story. The story of Colour Photo came from Sai Rajesh. When I have a story that I could build on, I could write screenplays with ease.”
Director Sandeep Raj
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
He wrote Mowgli inspired by a few real incidents and dramatised it. “My writing is realistic in its treatment of characters and dramatic, almost like a fantasy world, in how it builds situations.” If the climax of Colour Photo drew philosophical parallels between devotion and unflinching love, Sandeep says the idea of God is a moot point in Mowgli as well. “We have not disclosed anything in the promos. The climax will have a takeaway on what God means to me. I am not discussing this aspect just because it’s a prevailing trend. Growing up in Vijayawada, I have always been devoted to ‘ammavaru’ (Kanaka Durga temple), and the 135-feet Hanuman statue near my college in Paritala left an impression on me. This reflects in my work.”
Sandeep describes Mowgli as a romance drama with action, exploring the war between love and lust. Roshan Kanakala plays the title character of a man who grew up in the jungle. The story explores what happens when a film crew arrives in the jungle for a shooting schedule and romance brews between Mowgli and a dancer in the crew who is deaf and mute.
Newcomer Sakkshi Mhadolkar was chosen as the leading lady after a look test: “I wanted someone with expressive eyes to play the deaf-mute character,” says Sandeep, adding that he gives utmost importance to casting. He chose Roshan Kanakala for the raw energy with which he portrayed his part in his debut film, Bubble Gum. “He came like a blank slate and adapted to the requirements of the character.” Sandeep convinced Bandi Saroj Kumar to play the antagonist and says he was drawn by his conviction and calibre. “I approached a few established actors to play the antagonist, and though they liked the story and the character, they were hesitant to take up such a part in a smaller budget film.”
Roshan Kanakala in ‘Mowgli’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Though Sandeep does not disclose the budget, he says Mowgli is a small film that will look more lavish than its budget: “I always wanted to make larger-than-life stories and I am a big admirer of SS Rajamouli.” He mentions cinematographer Rama Murti M as an asset, given his experience of working with Rajamouli and cinematographer KK Senthil Kumar for the two Baahubali films and RRR.
Mowgli is set in the jungle and was filmed over 81 days with a nearly 200-member crew in Rampachodavaram and Maredumilli. “Drama is my strength. We finished shooting Colour Photo in 34 days. This time, I wrapped up the drama portions in 30 days and the rest were spent in action episodes,” says Sandeep, asserting that the action is backed by emotions. “Even the montage sequences took time. For instance, if we want to show Roshan and Sakkshi swinging from the huge trees, it would take half a day to shoot to get the right frames.”
The last 30 minutes of Mowgli involves action sequences and Sandeep reveals that Roshan enacted several scenes without the use of ropes, to appear convincing as a man of the jungle.
While the plot involves a film crew, Sandeep says he did not intend to make a commentary on the film industry. “Instead, we have shown how villagers react to a film crew, with humour.”
Like Colour Photo, Sandeep says music will be a highlight of Mowgli. Teaming up again with Kaalabhairava, he says, “This is the first time both of us are working on an action entertainer and we used African war drums for the action episodes. Mowgli will offer the audience an enjoyable theatrical experience.”
Published – December 10, 2025 04:23 pm IST
