Ghani preview: All you need to know about Varun Tej, Saiee Manjrekar's sports drama

Ghani, the sports drama starring Varun Tej, Saiee Majrekar in the lead, is written and directed by Kiran Korrapati, a first-time filmmaker who has assisted directors like Harish Shankar, VV Vinayak and Sreenu Vaitla in the past. The drama features a terrific star cast apart from the leads, including Upendra, Naveen Chandra, Nadhiya, Naresh, Jagapathi Babu and Suniel Shetty, to name a few. Produced by Sidhu Mudda and Allu Bobby, the film has music by S Thaman, is cinematographed by George C Williams and edited by Marthand K Venkatesh. 

What is the story?

Ghani revolves a youngster named after the title who has a gift for boxing. A traumatic incident in his family's life forces him to distance himself from boxing, largely owing to a promise he made to his mother. Regardless of how far he tries to move away from the sport, his heart lies there. How does he hide his passion for boxing from his mother and what are the challenges he faces to succeed at the sport? This forms the crux of the story. 

While Saiee Manjrekar plays Ghani's on-screen love interest, Nadhiya is cast in the role of his mother. Upendra, Suniel Shetty, Jagapathi Babu and Naveen Chandra have crucial roles to play in Ghani's journey. The film captures the rise-fall-rise phase of Ghani in a mainstream format.

Why should one watch Ghani?

The cast is a major motivation to watch the film - it brings together talents from various industries including Upendra, Nadhiya, Saiee Manjrekar. (The film also is the first Telugu project for Saiee) Varun Tej has undergone a fantastic makeover for the film, reducing a lot of weight and being at his fittest best during the shoot, despite the fact that it was shot for over three years. The teaser and the trailer were arresting and showcased the scope for nailbiting drama in the film.

The composer of the season, S Thaman, is associated with this film as well and the songs have made a reasonable impact on audiences prior to release. An additional motivation of course for viewers will be the special appearance of Tamannaah, who'll be seen in a dance numer called Kodte, whose video version was released recently. Technically too, Ghani looks slick, stylish and is perfect for a big-screen experience, thanks to the expertise of George C Williams as a cinematographer and ace editor Marthand K Venkatesh

When and where will Ghani arrive on OTT?

The post theatrical streaming rights of Ghani have been acquired by the Telugu OTT platform aha. The film is expected to have its OTT premiere at least four weeks after its release.