Movie: Gaami
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Swetha Vahini Studios, Vishwaksen Cinemas, V Celluloid
Cast: Vishwak Sen, Chandini Chowdary, M G Abhinaya, Mohammad Samad, Harika Pedada, Dayanand Reddy, Shanthi Rao and others
Screenplay: Vidyadhar Kagita, Pratyush Vatyam
Music: Naresh Kumaran
DOP: Vishwanath Reddy
Editor: Raghavendra Thirun
Action: Wing Chun Anji
Production Designer: Pravalya Duddupudi
Co-producer: Swetha Moravaneni
Producer: Karthik Sabareesh
Directed by: Vidyadhar Kagita
Release Date: March 08, 2024
One of the recent trailers that impressed everyone with its content and visuals is "Gaami". The trailer garnered attention not only from regular moviegoers but also received praise from renowned filmmakers like SS Rajamouli.
Let's see if the film fulfilled its promise.
Story:
Shankar (Vishwak Sen), is an aghora who suffers from a unique condition - he is unable to make physical contact with other persons. He experiences intense pain when he makes physical contact with another individual.
He is informed that he can achieve a cure by locating the Mali Patralu, a flower that only blooms once every 36 years in the Himalayas. This year, the flower is expected to bloom in just 15 days.
He embarks on a quest to locate them, and is aided by Jahnavi, a medical scientist who is also seeking to find them.
On the other hand, a juvenile male endeavors to elude confinement in a cell where he has been incarcerated by unscrupulous scientists conducting perilous experiments on him and other individuals.
Uma, a young girl, also tries to avoid becoming a devadasi like her mother, Abhinaya. How are all these stories interconnected?
Artistes’ Performances:
Vishwak Sen's efforts should be appreciated. He appears to have endured a great amount of stress during the filming process, as the film was shot over an extended period of time in challenging weather conditions. The results of his endeavors are evident on the screen.
The portrayal of Chandini Chowdary's character and her performance lack the same impact as the other characters.
Abhinaya, in her role as a Devadasi, delivers a performance that is convincing and credible.
Mohammad Samad, portraying a prisoner in a CAT-cell, and Harika Pedda, playing the character of Uma, have delivered good performances.
Technical Excellence:
The visuals are a mixed bag. They exhibit stunning quality in certain places while being less impressive in others.
Although the visually stunning Himalayas sequences contribute to the overall grandeur of the film, they also expose the financial limitations of the producers during key action scenes.
Music director's contribution stands out. The background score generates a lot of tension in the film. The editing is imprecise. The writing is also underwhelming.
Highlights:
Different concept
The beginning Himalayan portions
The intriguing first half
Drawback:
Dead slow narration
Analysis
The Sanskrit term "Gaami" refers to embarking on a quest with the purpose of seeking something. The protagonist of this film embarks on an audacious quest to discover a remedy for his disease.
The new director Vidyadhar Kagita has conceived an ambitious narrative that encompasses three distinct storylines, all converging towards the central theme of the hero's quest to discover the cure.
Three distinct narratives unfold simultaneously in the film - the journey of Vishwak Sen, the plight of a young girl resisting becoming a devadasi, and a young boy's attempt to evade medical experimentation.
The narrative swiftly transitions to the tales of either a young male or female protagonist after showing Vishwak Sen’s character’s sequence.
The presence of three distinct storylines running concurrently generates a great deal of curiosity, eager to discover the unfolding events, though the emotion in the narration doesnt touch the hearts. This intrigue quality sustains the majority of the first half.
But the director's decision to employ the same approach in the second half of the film and continue it until the end has resulted in a burdensome viewing experience. The second half would have benefited from more sharp editing and a shorter duration.
The adventures performed by Vishwak Sen and Chandini Chowdary in the Himalayas completely defy logic. Both of them get ropes whenever they want. Everything looks contrived.
The climax section, where three narratives converge, is distinct. However, the climax is not easily comprehensible for the general audiences. One needs to be attentive during the last five minutes to attain clarity.
The film’s main point is revealed in the end only. We are refraining from disclosing it. But already the concept was shown in a popular Telugu small-budget film that was reelased in 2018.
"Gaami" stands out as a distinct attempt. The narrative is also different. The director possesses ambitious concepts. However, the narration lacks a compelling quality. As mentioned, although some visuals are pleasing, the majority of other graphics evoke a sense of "low-quality".
Overall, "Gaami" may not be appealing to audiences who are looking for commercial elements, but it should be lauded for attempting to present something unique. Watch it if you wish to witness the ambitious concepts and for its different attempts, expecting nothing more.
Bottom line: Experimental
