Many films are made with the only intention of providing entertainment and earn money, some are made to project certain ideas and ideologies with a message to the public by adding some attractive elements, but only a few filmmakers make sensible films because of their passion for film making and to satiate the creative genius present inside them.
Very rarely do we come across such filmmakers and we are quite fortunate to have a director like Ashwin Gangaraju in this present generation of filmmaking which has become synonymous with moneymaking who had hordes of passion for film making and loads of creative talent inside as evident from his maiden film Aakashavani streaming now on SonyLiv OTT platform.
https://snooper-scope.in/aakashavaani-to-premiere-on-sonyliv-ott-platform/
Story
Set in a faraway tiny hamlet that was untouched by civilization, its people believe in only two things, one is Dora (Vinay Varma) and the other is God. While the Dora is their demigod, the god takes the form of an oval shaped stone.
Sambadu (Teja Kakumanu) is the custodian on the behalf of Dora who ensures that nobody crosses the borderline and if they cross by mistake, they have to face the wrath of Dora. Mind you, Dora’s word is final as it’s nothing but the word of God for them.
The young shepherd Gidda (Prasanth), the son of Ranga (Mime Madhu) finds the radio by chance and all the people of hamlet now believe that God has taken a new form and start talking to them via Radio. Their faith was strong enough to move the mountains as a result Chandram Master (Samuthirakani) lands up in their hamlet by default to end all their miseries.
What happens to the people after the entry of Chandram and how do they come to know the real face of Dora is the remaining story of Aakashavani which needs to be seen on-screen only.
Performances
It’s a collective effort rather than pointing at a single performance or a solitary actor. Rather than the actors, the characters will be seen on the screen which is the most fascinating thing about this film. Further, none of the actors seem to act or perform, they will be seen as real-life characters and this is the amazing aspect of this film.
Vinay Varma, Mime Madhu, Prasanth, Teja Kakumanu, Samuthirakani, Anthony as Ayyoru, Shaking Seshu as Lingaiah, Getup Srinu as Srinu and, there are many other nameless characters in the movie like Sai Kiran Yadav, Ajay, Hemalatha Yadav, and other artistes from theatre have done extremely well in their characters to the extent that only characters speak instead of the actors.
Behind the scenes
Aakashavani is the one movie that has given room for so many expectations with renowned directors like S.S. Rajamouli heaping praises on Ashwin Gangaraju and his film. All that proved to be true as the film is a masterpiece that defines the art of filmmaking and the feeling one gets after watching the whole film reiterates this statement.
The story, script, and the direction of Ashwin Gangaraju and his screenplay with Sandeep Raj and Sai Kumar Reddy was spotless as it depicts that rawness and the rustic beauty that is still prevalent in many hamlets in India which are out of bounds of civilization or development.
The innocence, beliefs, and purity in the thoughts of those people were very well captured and weaving a story around an object like radio and sustaining the interest of the viewer till the last frame is possible only through the hold on the script by the director, the clarity of expression, and most importantly the zeal which is present in abundance in Ashwin and Aakashavani was an indication of all those qualities.
One more factor, the most important one was the background score of Kaala Bhairava which was astounding and mesmerizing. His wise use of instruments and orchestration along with the composition of those two songs has given a lot of fillip to Aakashavani.
Then the stunning photography of Suresh Ragutu about whom we have been hearing a lot these days has given another display of breathtaking visuals that presented the picturesque locales of Paderu in full charm and beauty.
The editing by the award winning Sreekar Prasad also needs a special mention for his slick editing which was evident all through the film.
Final Verdict & Rating
Only very few films are made with heart and soul. One among them is Aakashavani which once again proves the efficiency of Telugu filmmakers to the world. Here is the film which is going to be the answer to the question, why can’t we make films like the ones that are made in other languages? Aakashavani is the apt and correct answer demonstrating that we also can do it in a better way than many of them.
Let’s support films like Aakashavani so that the real cinema and good cinema shall continue to thrive despite many challenges. You made us all proud Ashwin and we expect many more gems from you in future.
Rating: 4/5