Movie Review : Gaami
Shankar ( Vishwak Sen) lives with a group of Aghoras in the hills. He has a unique condition wherein if a human touches him, his body contorts painfully, turning blue. As luck would have it , he is told there is a cure in the form of magical mushrooms for this. But for that he has to undertake an impossible journey into the higher Himalayan ranges. He meets a biologist Jahnavi ( Chandini Chowdary) who has the route map to the mushrooms, which only bloom onces in 36 years. She wants to use them to medically help people in need.
Together, the duo set off to their goal.
In another part of the country, a devadasi Durga ( Abhinaya) has to protect her young daughter Uma ( Harika Pedda) from the clutches of evil men.
In a torture factory in the Himalyas, near the border, there is an evil group of scientists who capture Uma for a brutal experiment. They have dozens of trapped humans in terrible conditions, undergoing inhuman torture. A young teenager ( Samad), who is suffering electric shocks for a terrifying experiment, tries to run away.
Shankar strangely enough, has visions of of this boy and of Uma. Are all these characters connected in any way? If so, how? Does Uma escape? Does Shankar find his cure?
The director takes you on a magical journey into the world of these characters whose lives and problems are beautifully etched.
Shankar's malady and resultant lonliness, Uma's innocence, Durga's fear and love for her child and the teenage boy's despair, suffering and hope are all brought out by good writing and excellent performances of the actors.
The actors draw you in, making you empathise with them, and leave an impression till long after.
The screenplay proceeds at an unhurried pace, taking its own time for letting the non-linearly narrated story unfold, and this is totally befitting of the space the characters live in, which is away from hurried, bustling surroundings.
The camerawork and CG, especially in the mountain portions, is breathtaking, even though few scenes of the duo climbing certain peaks and glaciers, look near impossible. How they are protected from the freezing cold in seemingly inadequate warm clothing is a point to ponder.
The scenes in the torturous science facility are grusome to watch but the art department deserves kudos for creating the eerie atmosphere of the place.
The film is engaging in the way it unfolds and the climax portions are to watch out for. Many a scene has a nail-biting tension building up.
The film justifies the title. Gaami, is well worth a watch as an interesting, well- presented effort, with good performances, music and camerawork, enduring suspense and drama, and an interesting screenplay for an unusual storyline.
Rating 3/5
CAST
Vishwak Sen as Shankar
Chandini Chowdary as Dr. Jahnavi
Abhinaya as Durga
Harika Pedda as Uma, Durga's daughter
CREW
DIRECTOR –Vidyadhar Kagita
SCREEN PLAY –Vidyadhar Kagita, Pratyush Vatyam
DOP –Vishwanath Reddy Chelumalla
SONGS –Sweekar Agasthi
BACKGROUND SCORE - Naresh Kumaran
EDITOR –Raghavendra Thirun
BANNER – Karthik Kult Kreations, V Celluloid, VR Global Media,
Swetha Vahini Studios Ltd, Clown Pictures
PRODUCED BY - Karthik Sabareesh
