‘Gamanam’ film assessment: Director Sujana Rao’s anthology of tales, framed in opposition to Hyderabad floods, is earnest even when not fully absorbing

Keep in mind the road ‘Water, water, in every single place, not a drop to drink’ from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Historical Mariner’? When town will get battered throughout monsoon and low-lying colonies are inundated annually, the road assumes extra relevance. In a passing scene in debut writer-director Sujana Rao’s Telugu movie Gamanam, an aged girl in a slum questions why water channels are encroached upon and was excessive rises, permitting no room for rainwater to empty. Neither is it probably the greatest scenes within the movie nor does the query come throughout as forceful, however the relevance is tough to overlook.

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Sujana Rao presents three tales that minimize throughout age teams and social segments in Hyderabad and reveals what the deluge can imply to totally different folks. Water is the ever-present extra character. At first, we see ladies in a slum line up close to a tanker to get their each day quota of water. Elsewhere, a younger ragpicker possibilities upon a bottle of mineral water and treasures it. Later, the life-giving water threatens to eat just a few characters, whereas it makes the others reassess their priorities and step out of their preconceived notions. Binding the tales deftly is Ilaiyaraaja’s background music, filling the scenes soulfully with pleasure, poignancy or indicating a looming risk, the way in which solely he can. There are scenes the place subsequent to nothing is spoken; phrases change into redundant when the music does the deed.

Kamala (Shriya Saran) is a listening to impaired mom of an toddler in a slum, making an attempt to make ends meet whereas ready for her husband to return from Dubai. With an undercurrent of pathos, it’s a story that can be utilized to emotionally manipulate viewers to pity the lady. Nevertheless, the story progresses to point out how Kamala attracts on her innate power to struggle for survival. Shriya enacts Kamala with conviction, revelling within the alternative to ship a transferring efficiency. The scene by which she reacts to the totally different sounds and later her youngster’s giggles could make your eyes nicely up and depart you with a smile.

Working parallel to that is the story of younger love and aspirations. Ali (Shiva Kandukuri) is a cricketer who aspires to be in workforce India. His humble household background, contrasted with that of his girl love Zara (Priyanka Jawalkar), might have been an everyday story of a poor boy and a wealthy lady. What makes this story fascinating is the added layer of the beliefs his grandparents stay by and in flip, count on him to comply with. Charu Hasan performs the grandfather with heat and assertiveness. There’s a scene of him cooking for his grandson and nudging his spouse to keep away from the kitchen. The movie shines in moments akin to these. The scene of battle between Zara’s father (Sanjay Swaroop) and Ali’s household might have been been dealt with higher. Its clumsy starting is salvaged to an extent by Charu Hasan’s efficiency.

The third story is of two road youngsters who’re rag pickers; anonymous folks within the burgeoning metropolis. Once more, this might have been a soppy, tearjerker story however is narrated with heat. There are sufficient scenes to painting their innate helplessness, contrasted with youngsters who develop up in sheltered households. The story outlines how these boys, moderately than wallow in self pity, attempt to make issues work. The casting works to the movie’s benefit, with the kid actors handing over efficient portrayals.

Shiva Kandukuri and Priyanka Jawalkar additionally make their presence felt with earnestness. Nithya Menen seems in a cameo at an important juncture. One of many huge disappointments, nonetheless, is how a terrific actor like Suhas is wasted in a pal’s function. After Color Picture and Household Drama, it looks like a criminal offense to waste him.

When the deluge occurs, the characters are pushed to the brink and compelled to punch nicely past their weight. The tales do get predictable and emotional. The cues planted nicely forward are a sign of issues to come back. The clay Ganeshas within the case of the road youngsters and early on, Ali stating that he will probably be written about within the newspapers, as an example. Smarter writing might have sidestepped the predictability.

Gamanam doesn’t stay as much as its potential of being an absorbing survival drama. However regardless of the tough edges and predictable pitfalls, it holds its personal and narrates tales with conviction, and marks the arrival of yet one more new director who’s unafraid to go in opposition to mainstream Telugu movie tropes.