‘Aakashavaani’ movie review: Definitely an original gem

Debut director Ashwin Gangaraju presents an endearing tale about a radio being worshipped as a talking God

Original stories are rarely heard, forget about being made into cinema. Debut director Ashwin Gangaraju’s story comes as a breath of fresh air to Telugu cinema. Aakashavani has a sensible plot with a parable.

The setting is an unpolluted agency area where a group of 40 people are born, raised and have lived all their lives without seeing a stranger. Their only God is a lingam-shaped stone which is replaced or upgraded by a discarded malfunctioning radio; the sound that comes now and then is presumed to be a talking God, the Aakashavaani.

While the director completely relies on the story to work, Suresh Raghutu’s lens captures the beautiful Paderu area and the agency settlement in its greens and browns. This is not an easy film to write and execute. There are many newcomers along with a few familiar faces, but they all come together and do not let your mind wander. At the end of the film, you are reminded of the moral science class at school.