"Rangasthalam X 2": Production Designer Avinesh Kolla on Recreating the 1970s for Ram Charan’s ‘Peddi’
The buzz around Mega Power Star Ram Charan’s upcoming rural action drama, "Peddi," has reached a fever pitch. Directed by Buchi Babu Sana and produced on a massive scale by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings, the film is slated for a grand global release on June 4, 2026.
In a recent press interaction, the film’s award-winning Production Designer, Avinesh Kolla, shared fascinating insights into the immense effort required to bring the world of Peddi to life.
A Story That Moved the Maker
Avinesh revealed that his emotional connection to the film started the moment he heard the script.
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The Reaction: "In my ten-year career, this is the first time a story excited me this much. After the narration, I couldn't even process things for 20 minutes; it moved me that deeply," he shared.
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The Vision: Knowing the strength of the script, he decided that every detail of the production design had to be meticulously authentic.
Recreating Vizianagaram (1970–1980)
The film is a period drama set in the late 70s and early 80s against a Vizianagaram backdrop.
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Invisible Art: Avinesh emphasized that an Art Director succeeds when the audience cannot tell a set is actually a set. "The sets in Peddi are so natural that people won't even realize they were constructed," he noted.
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Iconic Landmarks: The team painstakingly recreated Vizianagaram’s streets, its famous Clock Tower, and surrounding rural areas.
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Scale of Construction: The team built 24 major sets from scratch, with over 60–70 additional setups. A massive Vizianagaram set has been maintained for over a year to ensure filming could happen in any weather condition.
Wrestling, Cricket, and Craftsmanship
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Wrestling (Kusti): The film features a unique underground wrestling setup. The shot of Ram Charan holding a Gada (mace) was filmed in this specific, gritty environment.
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Natural Cricket: Unlike the stylized matches in films like Lagaan, Peddi features "Gully Cricket" set in 70s rural India. Avinesh described it as having the natural feel of watching a match while sitting on the edge of a farm field.
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The Hero’s Gear: Even the cricket bat used by Ram Charan was custom-designed to look like something a local player would hand-craft using raw materials available in a village during that era.
Collaboration and Challenges
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DOP Sync: Avinesh praised the coordination with Cinematographer Rathnavelu, stating that their "sync" was crucial in making the sets look authentic under natural lighting.
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Miniatures: The team spent over a year in pre-production, creating miniature models for every set before actual construction began.
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Hidden Gems: One major challenge was creating a "Hill Station village" within a booth bungalow in Hyderabad. Additionally, a fully functional Sugar Factory was built as a set, designed to be indistinguishable from a real one.
Ram Charan’s Dedication
Avinesh spoke highly of Ram Charan's commitment, noting that the actor appreciated every detail of the train setups and wrestling pits. He also revealed that during a grueling wrestling action sequence, Charan sustained an injury but returned to the set immediately to ensure the production schedule and co-artists' dates weren't disrupted.
Final Verdict: An Emotional Journey
"When audiences walk out of the theater, they will definitely have tears in their eyes," Avinesh promised. "Sukumar garu recently said Charan’s performance would surpass Rangasthalam, and that is because the emotional depth of this story is truly one of a kind."
