Gaami review: Vishwak Sen, Chandini Chowdary’s anthology explores the triumph of human spirit
Gaami review: Vidyadhar Kagita’s crowd-funded film has been in the making for many years, but the wait seems worthwhile for this Vishwak Sen-starrer.
Gaami review: Vidyadhar Kagita’s Gaami, an epic adventure drama starring Vishwak Sen, Chandini Chowdary, Abhinaya, Harika Pedda and Mohammed Samad (of Tumbbad fame) in the lead roles, has been in the making for years. The anthology of three stories explores the triumph of the human spirit, no matter how many attempts are made to trample it. While this crowd-funded film, later produced by Karthik Sabareesh, is flawed, the attempt is gutsy. (Also Read: Vishwak Sen opens up on his rift with Arjun: ‘Wouldn't happen if I was from a film family')
Gaami story
Shankar (Vishwak) is a reclusive aghora with a mysterious past. His body seizes up and turns blue whenever he experiences human touch, making his fellow men believe Lord Shiva has cursed him. When he’s forced to leave Haridwar for a miracle cure in the Himalayas, Dr Jahnavi (Chandini) convinces him to let her join him, in return for helping him cross the mountains. She has her reasons for going along on this treacherous journey. Elsewhere, in south India, a devadasi called Durga (Abhinaya) returns to her daughter Uma (Harika) after years, but their freedom is soon threatened. CT-333 (Samad) is trying, Shawshank Redemption style, to escape from a dystopian facility conducting human trials at the Indo-China border.
Gaami review
For a debutant filmmaker, Vidyadhar dreams big, and definitely beyond the confines of what Telugu cinema has dared to explore so far. The budget of the film and the execution might not always match expectations, but the idea is there, so is the heart. Gaami starts out beautifully, with Vidyadhar immersing you in Shankar, Durga, Uma and CT-333’s worlds. The score by Naresh Kumaran underlines the emotions felt by the characters without overpowering the visuals. However, it’s when the director takes it a step too far, taking cinematic liberties that jerk you out of this world, where the film falters. At least twice or thrice you are distracted, not just by the janky VFX but also because characters don’t meet the fate they would in any other world.
The themes explored
Without giving much away, it’s safe to say that Gaami explores some themes crucial to the story. We’re shown Shankar, Durga and Uma, apart from CT-333’s stories in three tracks, making you wonder how they would intersect. Vidyadhar delves into the topics of science and religion without getting preachy. He shows how both can suppress humanity, given the right circumstances. How both can do equal damage to a person’s psyche. The theme of Lord Shiva being ardha narishwar also has a beautiful call-back later in the story and a character’s gender binaries are explained away without too much hoopla. But more than anything, Gaami is about survival, not just from unforgiving nature but also the traumas you internalise. How loneliness is the biggest curse of all.
What’s a letdown
While Gaami sets up a lot of things in these three stories, it doesn’t take enough time to give proper pay-offs to all of them. In Shankar’s story, you just know certain characters should’ve been dead or at least badly injured. And yet, in true Tollywood fashion, they emerge alive and kicking. Vidyadhar also takes enough time to show the big reveal about Shankar’s past but doesn’t properly explore the last leg of the treacherous journey - which is what the audience was waiting for. Uma and CT-333’s stories begin overpowering Shankar and Jahnavi’s stories after a point. The film's length and pacing might be a gripe for some, but feels necessary to the story.
In conclusion…
Given the right circumstances, Gaami could’ve been much more than what it is. While the core story has potential, it’s unfortunate that certain characters’ stories in the film make other struggles feel frivolous. Shankar is also a hard character to connect to. You can empathise with him, but you cannot fully understand his predicament until the very end. Jahnavi’s role simply should’ve been written better. But, Vidyadhar dares to dream and Gaami is the result of that. The film has its heart in the right place. It gives hope that maybe new-age filmmakers will dare to experiment. Kudos to that.
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