Noted actors Shriya Saran, Shiva Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar, Charu Haasan’s anthology film, Gamanam directed by Sujana Rao is our for public viewing today. Let’s see how it fares.
Story: Gamanam is an anthology film that revolves around the lives of socially and economically backward people in Hyderabad city. The film prominently explores the lives of Kamala(Shriya) deaf woman, an aspiring cricketer named Ali(Shiva Kandukuri) his girlfriend Zara(Priyanka Jawalkar), and two child beggars. The lifestyle and struggles in each individual life are showcased in three different segments. To know their stories in detail, you have to watch the film.
Performances: Shriya Saran did her part quite convincingly. Her struggle to safeguard her child in the single working mother role adds realistic flavor to the proceedings.
Young actor Shiva Kandukuri is impressive in his role as a struggling cricketer and emotionally connecting. The same is the case with his love episodes with Priyanka Jawalkar aka Zara. Lack of depth in the chemistry between them dilutes the audience’s mood.
The two kids who acted as child beggars are decent in their roles. Senior actor Charu delivers an impactful performance as Ali’s grandfather. Nithya Menen and Suhas are okay in their cameo roles.
Technicalities: Ace musician Ilayaraja composes music for the film but surprisingly his composition and background score fail to create any impact.
Gnana Sekhar VS’s cinematography is the only saving grace for the film as he tried to showcase the slums in Hyderabad city in an authentic manner. Editing work is okay.
Production values for this low-budget movie are adequate.
Analysis: Lady director named Sujana Rao directs Gamanam. As per her saying during the end cards, Sujana wrote the script after witnessing horrible circumstances during the recent Hyderabad floods.
Though Sujana Rao’s idea of making a film based on the sad events that happened during the Hyderabad floods is appreciatable, the anthology lacks proper scene order and emotional connectivity. Instead of splitting the film into three different stories, Sujana would have focused on presenting the film on an engaging note with good screenwriting and screenplay.
To summarize, Gamanam is an anthology film that gives a documentary feel while watching it. Except for Gnana Sekhar’s cinematography and the actors’ performances, the film has nothing great to mention here. If you have enough time to encourage the new talent, watch Gamanam.
Verdict: Genuine and Honest Attempt
Rating: 2.5/5
