'Naal' shooting location: Know deatils of Nagraj Manjule starrer 2018 Marathi film

Naal (Umbilical Cord in English) is a 2018 Marathi drama film that was directed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti and produced by Nagraj Manjule (Sairat). It follows the story of Chaitanya (Shreenivas Pokale), an eight-year-old mischievous boy who lives in a remote village in Maharashtra along the banks of a river. His father is a small-time landlord (Nagraj Manjule) and the kid is much pampered by his loving mother (Devika Daftardar). The film follows Chaitanya's emotional and unexpected journey as the film explores motherhood.

The film marked the feature film debut of director Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, who had worked as a cinematographer in various Telugu, Marathi and Hindi films. The film received critical acclaim for its performances, Yekkant's direction and cinematography. Sudhakar won the National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director in 2019. Read to know more about Naal movie shooting location and other cast and plot details of the film.

'Naal' shooting location

Bhandara-Gondia region, Vidharbha, Maharashtra

Naal was shot within the Bhandara-Gondia region in the Vidharbha district of Maharashtra state. According to Cinestaan, director Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti wanted to shoot locally so that audience would be transported to the world of Chaitya and his peaceful and picturesque village. As the audience, you are hooked to the scenic village views in Bhandara right from the first scene, which is an aerial shot of the village. The filming location was primarily set in the villages nearby Bhandara-Gondia including the Wardha river in Vidharbha. 

More about cast and crew of Naal (2018)

Naal marked the feature filmmaking debut of Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, who has worked as a cinematographer on films such as Mirch(2010), Deool (2011), Nautanki Saala! (2013), Highway: Ek Selfie Aarpar (2015), and the acclaimed Marathi romantic drama Sairat(2016). Jayas Kumar, the child singer from Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs made his acting debut with Naal and eventually won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. 

The film has only one song titled Jau De Na Va with the vocals of Jayas Kumar. The music and lyrics have been penned by AV Prafullachandra with playback singers Rugved Kulkarni and Rucha Kulkarni. The film earned Rs 40 crore on a budget of Rs.3 crore and received acclaim from critics for its performances and emotional story. The film is currently streaming on the Zee5 platform. Take a look at the trailer of Naal here.