Exclusive | 'Krishnavataram': Director Hardik Gajjar on Using VFX to Bring Divinity to the Screen

Director Hardik Gajjar's Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart (Hridayam) entered theatres as the first chapter in a planned trilogy centred on Lord Krishna. The film, a “Navarasa of Krishna,” as described by Gajjar, explores Krishna's story through the perspective of Satyabhama and four patranis, with a particular emphasis on emotion, devotion and faith.

Alongside its narrative ambitions, the film represents one of the director's most VFX-intensive projects to date. Drawing on over two decades of experience in the visual effects industry, Gajjar, along with his team, recreated locations such as Dwarka through a combination of architectural research, historical references and digital world-building.

In conversation with THR India, Gajjar discusses the emotional foundation of the trilogy, the responsibility of adapting stories connected to faith, the challenges of creating large-scale mythological worlds, and the kind of cinema he hopes to make beyond Krishnavataram.

You are making a trilogy, why did you choose to begin with the heart?

If I talk about Satchitanand – Sat, Chit, Anand – they are three different words but always pronounced together. When we talk about the Avatar, anything always starts with the heart. The heart expresses your emotions, and it is non-replaceable.  Until you understand feelings, how can you understand the mind? If you want to reach someone and truly know them, you have to begin with emotions. The heart is connected to that understanding. First comes love, and that's why the story starts with the heart.

Does building a mythological cinematic universe feel exciting, or does it come with pressure?

It definitely comes with responsibility. Faith and devotion are deeply connected to these stories. When you're presenting history, or what people believe to be history, your responsibility becomes even greater. You have to ensure that nothing is presented incorrectly.

These stories are documented, and future generations may refer to them through visual media. Cinema is one of the easiest ways to communicate ideas. Because of that, authenticity becomes extremely important. So yes, there is tremendous pressure to get everything right and not move away from the essence of what exists in the texts.

How did you balance making the film emotionally appealing and visually grandiose?

For me, emotions always come first. People may be impressed by a monument or a visual spectacle, but they remember emotions for much longer. You might see something grand and take a photograph with it, but years later, what stays with you is often how that sight made you feel.

Grandeur is important because it helps place the audience inside a world. It creates immersion. But once viewers enter that world, storytelling and emotion must take over. That is the balance I always try to maintain.

You've worked in visual effects for more than two decades. How did that background shape Krishnavataram?

My career began in VFX, so I naturally think about presentation and visual design throughout the film's creation. But I don't believe technology should lead the process. My team and I believe more in creating experiences than simply showcasing technology. Visual effects are a support system.

When we recreated places like Dwarka, we relied heavily on research. We studied proportions, architecture, pillar sizes, spatial layouts and historical references. Many people asked why certain structures or characters seemed larger than expected. According to some interpretations and references, humans during those eras were significantly taller than they are today. If people were nine or ten feet tall, the scale of their palaces and cities would naturally be much larger as well.

How did you approach creating worlds like Dwarka for the screen with a sense of divinity?

To establish divinity and create the visual look of the world, architectural references are essential. We rely on existing references available to us and build from there. Research is the foundation of everything. Whether it is colours, design palettes, structures or visual effects, every element is treated as a tool to support the storytelling.

Visual effects are not the destination; they are a medium. The grandeur comes from understanding the history, the references and the research behind it. Once that foundation is strong, technology helps bring that vision to life.

The industry is still navigating theatrical audience numbers and audience behaviours since the pandemic. Does that make creating a large-scale trilogy more challenging?

I think audiences are looking for experiences that offer hope, reflection and emotional connection. The entertainment industry provides a breathing space. Whether you call these stories history, mythology or faith-based narratives, they often act as a source of light during difficult times.

When people are struggling, they look for something that helps them reconnect with themselves; any meaningful experience can provide that. I don't think this is only about Krishnavataram. If a film offers audiences something emotionally fulfilling, they will come to theatres. It may take time, but they will come.

Did the VFX work become challenging at any stage of this film?

Without a doubt it was most challenging during the destruction of Dwarka. The climax involves large-scale water simulations, live-action performances and extensive CGI interaction. But the challenge wasn't technical; it was emotional. I didn't want audiences to admire the visual effects. I wanted them to feel the emotional weight of witnessing the end of an era and the conclusion of Krishna's earthly journey.

Balancing those emotions with the right technical execution was extremely difficult. If the VFX became too noticeable, the emotional impact would disappear. If the emotions dominated without technical credibility, the sequence would lose its realism. Finding that balance was probably the toughest challenge in the film.

After Krishnavataram, what stories do you want to tell?

I want to create experiences that carry strong emotional cores, be it a love story, drama, fantasy or action film. I want audiences to feel something.

India has a rich heritage of stories that remain under-explored. I am interested in finding those stories and presenting them with contemporary cinematic language. I often think about works like the Panchatantra. Generations grew up with those stories, but younger audiences may no longer have that connection. If we can transform such stories into immersive cinematic experiences, people will rediscover them.

Finally, what do you hope your body of work will represent?

Emotional storytelling through experience. That's the clearest answer I can give. I want people to remember the emotions they felt while watching my films. I know exactly what I don't want to make; I don't see myself making crime stories because that world doesn't connect with me creatively. What interests me is creating cinema that combines scale, emotion and experience. That's the path I want to follow.