An immersive soul-searching journey
An emotional tale and a stunning cinematic experience come together seamlessly in debut director Vidyadhar Kagita’s Telugu film ‘Gaami’, anchored by Vishwak Sen’s performance; the movie presents us with more than an adventure drama on the mighty Himalayas
‘Dedicated to the crowd’ reads one of the title credits of the Telugu film Gaami (seeker). For the uninitiated, the film began as a crowdfunded indie venture before a reputed production house (UV Creations) threw its might behind it.
Gaami was in the making for more than seven years as its makers—debut director Vidyadhar Kagita and producer Karthik Sabareesh—took several leaps of faith to narrate a story that is not within the ambit of conventional Telugu cinema. The result is an immersive slowburn film that offers plenty to unpack in terms of its narrative and technical finesse, resulting in a visually rewarding experience.
While Vidyadhar makes an assured directorial debut, actor Vishwak Sen reaffirms that he can deliver an internalised, poignant performance even when he has very little to say.
Gaami draws us into the world of its protagonist, Shankar (Vishwak Sen), from the word go. In the opening segment, we see the plight of Shankar in an Aghora ashram somewhere in Haridwar. Even as we take in the different elements that have gone into creating the world of the Aghoras (production design by Pravalya Duddupudi and cinematography by Vishwanath Reddy and Rampy Nandigam), we learn what torments Shankar. He cannot feel human touch. The ramifications of living with such a condition, which some of the Aghoras believe is a curse rather than a problem, is tough to articulate. The character’s struggles and his search for identity are gradually revealed by writers Vidyadhar and Pratyush Vatyam.
Almost like a fable, Shankar is told that he has to travel to the Himalayas, where the cure lies in mushrooms with medicinal power, which are available once every 36 years. There are more conditions, and he has to secure them within a narrow time window.
This is only one part of the story. Gaami presents us with more than an adventure drama on the mighty Himalayas. We are privy to two other parallel stories. The visual textures, colour palette and mood, helped by Naresh Kumaran and Sweekar Agasthi’s music, tonally shift to present us with the gravity of these tales.
Gaami opts for a deliberate pacing of the stories to allow us to empathise with the characters. The narrative is unafraid to use silences to drive home a sense of helplessness, eeriness and selfrealisation, as the situation warrants at different points of the narrative. All the three characters are seekers of freedom. For one, it boils down to breathing fresh air and being able to look up at the vast skies. It is as primal as that.. The use of visual effects, for the most part, works to accentuate the mood. For each step Shankar and Jahnavi
(Chandini Chowdary) take on thin ice and fragile glaciers, we are conscious of the dangers lurking ahead.
While the protagonists of the three stories, set in different timelines, are almost cut off from what we would perceive as normal surroundings, Gaami introduces Jahnavi as a contemporary, urban seeker of medicinal miracles. There are scenes in which she is us, the audience, trying to understand Shankar and his search for cure.
Towards the preclimax, it is possible to discern at least some portions of how the tale is likely to unfold.
On a different note, there is also the spiritual subtext that aligns with Shankar’s name and his search of the Himalayas. As Shankar’s search for a cure turns into a soulsearching exercise, it is impossible not to root for Vishwak Sen’s unwavering performance. Chandini’s character, at the outset, might come across as underwritten. However, it ends up beautifully complementing Shankar’s tale towards the end and also answers why destiny chooses some for the cure and not every seeker. In her limited portions, Chandini is effective.
Gaami is a film that is likely to be rewarding with repeat viewing.