How did you feel when director Buchi Babu narrated the story of Peddi?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: In my ten-year career, this is the first time I got so emotionally excited after hearing a story. After Buchi Babu garu narrated Peddi, I couldn’t recover for nearly 20 minutes. The story moved me deeply. I immediately decided that the production design had to match the emotional strength of the script with utmost care and authenticity.
Since Peddi is a period drama, what precautions did you take while designing the sets?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: When audiences watch a film, they should never feel that they are looking at a set. That’s when an art director truly succeeds. In Peddi, the sets are designed so naturally that viewers will not even realize they are sets.
The story is set in the 1970s and 1980s, and I already had experience working on several period dramas. Peddi is based in the Vizianagaram region, so we recreated the streets, clock tower, and surrounding village atmosphere authentically. We also paid special attention to the wrestling and cricket sequences. We designed a never-before-seen wrestling setup and even created an underground arena for those scenes. The shot where Ram Charan appears holding the gada was filmed there.
Tell us about your experience working with cinematographer Rathnavelu.
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: A film becomes visually perfect when the cinematographer and art director share strong synchronization. We had that perfect understanding in Peddi. Working with Rathnavelu garu was a wonderful experience, and our coordination helped bring great visual quality to the film.
Since cricket plays a role in the film, will it resemble Lagaan?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: Not at all. Lagaan was set during British rule, while Peddi is rooted in the 1970s-80s Vizianagaram backdrop. When audiences watch the cricket scenes in Peddi, they will feel like they are sitting on village field boundaries and watching local cricket matches. It carries a very earthy and natural vibe.
We spent more than a year on pre-production. During that phase, we created miniatures for every major set before actual construction. Every set in the film was built in open grounds and shot mostly under natural light.
Were there any particularly challenging sets in the film?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: Yes. We needed a hill station village setup for the story, which we constructed inside an old bungalow area in Hyderabad. When audiences watch it on screen, it will genuinely feel like a village located beneath hills. Designing that set was extremely challenging.
Director Buchi Babu garu and I worked with excellent coordination throughout the film. Even the sugar factory shown in the movie is a constructed set, but viewers won’t be able to identify it as one because of the realistic detailing.
How many sets were created for Peddi?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: We built 24 sets completely from scratch. Apart from that, there were nearly 60 to 70 setups. With a huge star cast, shooting at real locations becomes difficult, so we created controlled environments for smooth filming. The Vizianagaram set has been standing for almost a year, allowing us to shoot whenever needed in all weather conditions.
Even the cricket bat used by Ram Charan’s character came from our production design department. We designed it in a way that reflected how a rural player would naturally create a bat using locally available materials. We also developed several mannerisms and detailing for the character through the production design.
How was your bonding with Ram Charan during the shoot?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: Ram Charan garu appreciated every set we created, including the train setup, special song set, and wrestling arena. Many visitors who came to meet him on set also praised how natural and realistic the environments looked.
How did Ram Charan get injured during the shoot?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: He sustained the injury during a wrestling action sequence. Despite the injury, Charan garu returned to the shoot immediately because postponing would have affected the schedules of many artists. His dedication towards the project was truly admirable.
What can audiences expect from Peddi?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: Peddi is a one-of-its-kind emotional journey. Audiences will definitely walk out of the theater with tears in their eyes because they will deeply connect with the story and characters.
Sukumar garu recently mentioned that Ram Charan’s performance in Peddi could surpass Rangasthalam, and the reason is the sheer emotional strength of the story.
What are your upcoming projects after Peddi?
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: I am currently working on Paradise and also on Chiranjeevi garu’s upcoming film.
All the best.
Production Designer Avinash Kolla: Thank you.
