A heady fusion of two different time periods happens in Arun Chandu’s film, Gaganachari, one that evokes fear and another that evokes nostalgia. The events are set in a post-apocalyptic Kerala, ravaged by flood waters and facing the threat of an alien invasion, even as the conversations between the principal characters evoke the references and sensibilities of Malayalam cinema of the 80s and 90s.
It is a strange balance that the makers are striving to strike here, something which could have easily faltered. But they hit somewhere closer to the sweet spot, partly because pop culture nostalgia is potent and partly because of how well they pull off the VFX and AI-generated imagery, creating a believable world despite the limited budget.
Gaganachari (Malayalam)
Mostly, we spend inside the futuristic but cramped lair of Victor (K.B. Ganesh Kumar), a national hero due to his past exploits in alien hunting. A team of documentary filmmakers visits the bunker to make a film about him. A good part of the film has Victor and his hanger-ons Allen (Gokul Suresh) and Vaibhav (Aju Varghese) going about their messy daily lives inside the bunker, complicated further by the arrival of an alien (Anarkali Marikar).
Part of the setting, including the romantic track involving an alien, is reminiscent of Krishnendu Kalesh’s Hawk’s Muffin. However, this one, made with a different sensibility and mood, is jovial for most parts. Humour happens not just from the exchanges between the characters but also from the names (an alien who is called Eliyamma) and even the voices (a virtual assistant which speaks like a popular travel show host, a young alien who speaks in a veteran actor’s voice much to the dismay of her wannabe human boyfriend).
Outside, wars have happened over petrol, and the oppressive government has banned petrol vehicles and mandated the usage of electric vehicles under surveillance. A feared right-wing sena is prowling the streets, imposing moral codes, while synthetic ‘geef’ has replaced beef in the diet. That all the pop-culture humour happens in this context makes it more fascinating. At the heart of the film is a story that goes nowhere, but it just seems to be a setting to have these characters indulge us in a fun, nostalgic trip through films that have enriched our everyday interactions over the years. Yet, at some level, the bigger concern about climate change and the strengthening of oppressive power structures register in our minds.
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Ganesh Kumar perhaps has not had such fun with a role in a long time, perfectly portraying the pompous Victor wallowing in past glory. Gokul Suresh, mostly unimpressive in his previous outings, springs a surprise with how he has handled humour. Cinematrographer Surjith S.Pai and music director Sankar Sharma propel the film’s mood.
In Gaganachari, we see a filmmaker free from the pressures of the market, taking risks and letting his imagination run wild. Some of it misses, but the ones that hit make it worthwhile.
Gaganachari is currently running in theatres
