Teja Sajja reveals Mirai was made on just Rs 60 crore budget despite grand scale

Actor Teja Sajja revealed that director Karthik Gattamaneni’s superhero epic Mirai, set for release on September 12, was shot in 125 days on a ₹60 crore budget. Despite its grand visuals, the team used natural light and efficient shooting methods.

Chennai: Actor Teja Sajja, who plays the lead in director Karthik Gattamaneni’s eagerly awaited pan Indian film, ‘Mirai’, has now disclosed that the entire team of the film, under the leadership of the director, worked so hard and efficiently that the film, which many think must have cost over a 100 crore to make, was made in just about 60 crores.

In an exclusive interview to IANS, Teja Sajja said, “We shot this film in around 125 days and in a budget of Rs 60 crore. If someone else had suggested that they would be able to make a film of this stature and class on this budget, I wouldn’t have believed them. But the faith that I have in the technician in director Karthik Gattamaneni made me believe him with my eyes closed. He is just a brilliant director and cinematographer.”

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Stating that the team shot swiftly and efficiently to cut down on costs, Teja Sajja disclosed that the director used only natural lights while shooting all outdoor shots.

“Not a single light was used for any outdoor shots! All of it is just natural lighting. Karthik is so good at optimising natural lighting,” says Teja Sajja, who says that he did not have a caravan for almost 60 days out of the 120 days that they shot the film.

“We shot in places where caravans wouldn’t be able to go. We shot in the Himalayas for three days. We had to adjust with whatever we had,” he discloses with a smile.

The actor also disclosed that they shot in temperatures as low as minus 18 degrees for certain sequences in the film.

Teja Sajja disclosed, “We shot certain important sequences of the film in the Himalayas. The temperatures there were freezing. They were as low as minus 18 degrees.”

Needless to say, the film has triggered huge expectations among both fans and film buffs.

Bankrolled by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad, ‘Mirai’, sources claim, will be a revolution in the superhero genre.

For the unaware, Manoj Manchu plays the menacing antagonist in this film, which will also feature Shriya Saran, Jayaram, and Jagapathi Babu in pivotal roles.

Director Karthik Gattamaneni is not only Mirai’s director but also its cinematographer. The film’s screenplay has been crafted by Karthik himself, with Manibabu Karanam contributing both to writing and the dialogues. The world of Mirai has been brought to life with rich visual detail, thanks to Sri Nagendra Tangala, who heads the art department, while Sujith Kumar Kolli has been serving as the film’s Executive Producer.

Produced by People Media Factory, the creative force behind blockbusters like Karthikeya 2 and Jaat, Mirai will be a bold step forward in the studio’s Pan-India journey. Pointing out that the teaser showcased stunning visuals and cinematic scale, sources say the movie will have a record number of VFX shots.

Scheduled for a worldwide release on September 12, Mirai will hit theatres in eight languages, available in both 2D and 3D formats.