'Arabia Kadali Captures Humane and Inhumane Things on Both Sides'

In a conversation with CE, the creator-director duo of Arabia Kadali, Krish Jagarlamudi and VV Surya Kumar, talk about the logistical and creative challenges of making the series, the crucial factors for crafting a long-form narrative, and more

- BH HARSH

In 2018, a group of fishermen from Andhra Pradesh were detained by Pakistani marines and forced to be in jail for nearly two years before they could be released. In a strange coincidence, Telugu filmgoers in 2025 had two filmmakers choosing this story as a canvas for their projects. While the Naga Chaitanya starrer Thandel captured the plight of these migrant fishermen in a formulaic three-act structure, Arabia Kadali, which premiered on August 8, attempts to explore the subject in greater detail, giving the larger-than-life story its due screentime.

In an exclusive conversation with CE, creator Krish Jagarlamudi and director VV Surya Kumar talk about how they crafted a coherent structure for a story like Arabia Kadali, the challenges in attaining visual grandeur for the series, and more.

Excerpts

Krish, what was the inspiration for developing the script for Arabia Kadali? What were the themes you wanted to explore?

Krish Jagarlamudi: When Chintakindi Srinivas Rao first told us the story, he said, 'The sea is both a provider and a threat for these fishermen.' He talked about how these fishermen, without knowing, crossed borders on waters, borders that don't apply to fish or birds. Who drew those lines? That idea got me very excited, with this story of a long, tough journey of these fishermen from their village to Gujarat to Pakistan and then to the Wagah border.

How did Surya Kumar come on board?

KJ: Surya Kumar and I did many films together, where he worked as a co-director and handled second unit work on my films. Around the same time, he showed me some of his documentary short films. So I approached him with the idea of making Arabia Kadali as a series. Later, a writers' room was founded, bringing Sri Kamal, Venkata Ramana Salwa, and others on board.

Surya, what was your first impression when you heard this story?