Mumbai, May 30, 2025: The hard-hitting Naxal-centric indie thriller ‘Ghaath’ (Ambush), directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
This Marathi-language film features National Award winner Jitendra Joshi (Sacred Games, Godavari), Suruchi Adarkar (Baipan Bhari Deva), Milind Shinde, Janardan Kadam, and Dhananjay Mandaokar in pivotal roles.
Set in the jungles of central India – an area marked by Maoist rebel activity, the film explores the tense power dynamics between guerrillas, local villagers, and the police. As these forces confront one another, they face harsh truths about themselves and the systems they are a part of.
‘Ghaath’ had its World Premiere at Berlinale 2023, where Ninawe won the Giuseppe Becce Award for Best Director. The film was released theatrically last year and was also screened at several prestigious festivals, including the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Kerala 2023.
A self-taught filmmaker, Ninawe developed his skills by studying filmmaking independently and by creating documentaries and short films. His early work includes ‘A Cheque of Death’, a short film on farmer suicides, and the mid-length indie feature ‘Dvandva’.
Speaking about his experience of making the film, filmmaker Chhatrapal Ninawe said, “Making Ghaath felt like I am navigating the same forests my characters inhabit – marked by uncertainty and quiet revelations. I wanted to reflect the complex reality of my homeland without taking sides, and let audiences witness the moral grey areas of conflict. The biggest challenge was striking a balance between tension and truth. Dividing the story into the chapters of jal, jangal, and zameen (water, forest, and land) was a way to mirror the core struggles of these communities.”
Chhatrapal Ninawe Bio
Chhatrapal Ninawe is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter. A self-taught artist, he honed his craft through books, documentaries, and short films. His early works include the short film ‘A Cheque of Death’, which explores farmer suicides, and the indie mid-length feature ‘Dvandva’.
An alumnus of Berlinale Talents 2022, Ninawe’s debut feature ‘Ghaath’ (2023) premiered in the Panorama section at Berlinale 2023. The film won the 15th Giuseppe Becce Award for Best Director and was nominated for the GWFF Best First Feature Award. ‘Ghaath’ also received the WIP Lab Award at the NFDC Film Bazaar 2020 and was showcased at both the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Kerala in 2023.
