Teja Sajja’s superhero spectacle Mirai is continuing its strong box-office run, competing head-to-head with Kishkindhapuri, while Little Hearts also shines in cinemas. One of the biggest talking points from Mirai has been the breathtaking visual effects, particularly the creation of the mystical bird Sampathi, which has received a hugely positive response from audiences.
While many assumed Sampathi was fully CGI, director Karthik Ghattamaneni clarified the truth behind the visual wonder.
“We didn’t make Sampathi entirely in CGI. It was created using animatronics, designed like a real bird and operated with a remote control,” revealed Karthik.
Interestingly, he added that there is only one expert in animatronics in India, working out of Mumbai, who built a massive bird-like model specifically for Mirai. The sequences between Teja Sajja and Sampathi were filmed near Shamshabad, with the bird responding to remote-controlled movements.
Karthik also spoke about the challenges of shooting the underwater sequence featuring Teja and Sampathi:
“That underwater sequence is the proudest cheat I pulled off in Mirai. Since we couldn’t find a pool big enough to fit the bird, we filmed the shots separately and scaled them down. Thankfully, audiences loved it without noticing the trick.”
A Hyderabad-based VFX team handled the rest of the visual effects, seamlessly blending CGI with animatronics to bring Sampathi’s presence alive on screen. The technical brilliance has been widely appreciated, further elevating the film’s grand scale.
Produced by People Media Factory, Mirai released on Friday and is riding high on box-office success as well as critical acclaim for its technical mastery.
