Indie Film "Nadhi" Explores Koya Tribe's Struggle to Maintain Traditions

In November 2025, the independent Telugu-language feature film "Nadhi" has completed production after a yearlong shoot. The film, set in the forests of Andhra Pradesh, southern India, during the mid-20th century, follows an ancient Koya tribe as they struggle to maintain their traditional way of life in the face of modernization.

The project was developed by writer-director Aditya Vempaty, a San Francisco Bay Area native who graduated from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Vempaty connected with the Koya tribe of India's Eastern Ghats, to which he traces his ancestry, and spent months living in their heartland to build relationships with the community.

"Nadhi" features a cast led by acclaimed actor-director Nandita Das and veteran performer Nasser. Das, known for films like "Firaaq" and "Manto," returns to acting as the village matriarch Devi, while Nasser, whose credits include "Nayakan" and the "Baahubali" franchise, plays a government officer bridging the film's past and present timelines.

The production shot on location at the foothills of the Eastern Ghats and outside Hyderabad, working closely with local communities to recreate the period setting. The filmmaking team constructed a period-authentic village, with guidance from locals on undisturbed wilderness locations.