‘It’s something a 95 year old and a 5 year old can both fully enjoy. There are not many films like that today.’
Key Points
- Ashwin Nag produced Sing Geetham, a highly-acclaimed 2026 Telugu musical fantasy-drama directed by 94-year-old Singeetam Srinivasa Rao.
- The film, which released on June 11, is set in the mystical village of Kuberapuram, where a curse compels villagers to sing instead of speak, blending musical fantasy with environmental themes.
- Nag believes Sing Geetham resonates with audiences because it offers an emotional experience in an “overstimulated world”.
Ashwin Nag, best known for Kalki, discusses his passion project Sing Geetham, the highly-acclaimed 2026 Telugu musical fantasy-drama directed by the legendary 94-year-old filmmaker Singeetam Srinivasa Rao.
Released in theatres on June 11, the film centres around the mystical village of Kuberapuram, where a curse forces the villagers to sing instead of speak.
The narrative blends musical fantasy with environmental conservation themes.
The cast features Ayaan, Shalini Kondepudi and Ahilya Bamroo, with music composed by Devi Sri Prasad.
“The precision that Sir (Singeetam Srinivasa Rao) asks for was something we all learnt from,” says Nag. “Whether it was in dialogue or acting…he never liked it if things lingered on more than needed. In many senses Sir was the youngest person in the team.”
The Genesis of Sing Geetham
How and when did you decide to produce Sing Geetham?
Sir (Singeetam Srinivasa Rao) first told us about this project in 2018, after I directed Mahanati. He was 86 then… And over the years I heard from other actors and producers that he was actively trying to make it happen.
Sometime after Kalki I felt so sure about this film, then I would find a way to make it happen.
How were you so sure Singeetam Srinivasa Rao could pull it off at that age?
We found multiple solutions and gathered a team around him to make the shoot possible. Writing, rehearsing, composing, everything was done with his full involvement.
And what was your greatest takeaway from this experience?
The precision that Sir asks for was something we all learnt from. Whether it was in dialogue or acting…he never liked it if things lingered on more than needed. In many senses Sir was the youngest person in the team.
Connecting with Audiences
At a time when guns and gore rule the box office, what made you sure such a tender musical would connect with the audience?
I feel people want to feel. In this overstimulated world, it has become harder for us to really get in touch with our heart. This film does that. And people will go as they miss feeling.
We need stories that touch our heart as it clears the clutter, at least for a little bit. The film is an experience. Never before, probably never after.
A movie like this has never been done in India, probably the world also. It’s something a 95 year old and a 5 year old can both fully enjoy. There are not many films like that today.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
