Awe- All elements of suspense, thriller, horror and comedy bundled in one beautiful perfect package

Awe (Available on Netflit)

There is a screen going blank for 40 seconds multiple times in the 2^nd half of the film. Does it make it edgy? Does it look like forced way of creating suspense?

No, instead it adds more character to the screenplay. The conversation that takes place in the backdrop is unbelievably entertaining. This is just one of the many highlights of the technically brilliant, phenomenally remarkable and marvelously crafted film- Awe. To fit ‘Awe’ into a genre is also genuinely difficult because it contains elements of suspense, thriller, comedy and romance, all in one perfect package.

Radha (Eesha Rebba) and her partner Krishnaveni (Nithya Menen) are a couple trying to convince the former’s parents to give their blessings to the union. Nala (Priyadarshi) is a guy who isn’t trained to be a chef, but still tricks the employer to get the job. He befriends a goldfish from a tank in the kitchen, named Nani (Nani). There is a bonsai tree named Chanti (Ravi Teja) in the kitchen. Shiva (Srinivas Avasarala) is a watchman who wants to be a scientist and invent a time machine, while Parvathy (Devadarshini) claims him and her are two sides to the same person. Moksha is a little kid working at her mother’s restaurant and engaged in a cold war with an egoistic magician Yogi (Murli Sharma). 

Meera (Regina Cassandra) is a waitress and drug addict, gearing up to loot a rich man with her boyfriend. And last but not the least, Kali (Kajal Aggarwal) is a troubled woman who decides to kill herself and commit a mass murder on her birthday. What’s the connecting link between all these characters forms the crux of this ingenious tale?

The best part of ‘Awe’ is that it almost feels like an interactive film. More than the characters on screen, it is us, the audience, playing witness to the events occurring in the story and connecting the dots. 

The star cast is stupendous at their roles, breathing life into characters and making you care and invest in each and every one of them. Loved the introduction of Nithya Menen, who comes as a biker girl/pyschatrist. Mind-blown by Regina’s acting capability and of course, her looks designed with numerous tattoos, piercings and braided hairstyle, makes it look all excitingly wicked. Devadharshini who usually appears for a sister or sister-in-law role, is given so much scope to display her talents. Throughout the film, you are awed not only by the writing, but also delightfully captivated by the actors.

Debutant director Prashant Varma has handled much needed and relevant issues such as sexual abuse, child abuse, mental illness, suicidal tendencies, same-sex relationships and gender identity in a mature manner. Maturity in his writing galores as he steers clear of anything that reeks of commercialism or cliché. The intelligent manner in which the issues are layered in each character and scene shows that the director is very determined that these topics are not simply lectured. 

 Most of the film is set in closed spaces. Karthik Ghattamaneni has done some exceptional work with the cinematography. This is a film rich in visual cues and the camera constantly makes us question what we’re watching. This isn’t a lazily written anthology film where few stories or characters appears in throughout the film and then meet at an isolated worn-down building in the end for no reason. 

I liked the hard-hitting wicked sense of humor- the fish character gets pissed off at the chef who in desperate efforts to cook a fish item for his survival, plans to kill the same fish that assisted him earlier to make several dishes. The fish angrily says, “I am a fish. But you are selfish.” 

Initially, I had my misgivings about the film, starting from its massively crowded cast. Is it possible for the director to introduce us to so many characters and yet keep the narrative solidly tight? Will it end up as an ensemble cast where no one gets their due and audience ends up distracted? Prasanth Varma manages to dismiss my doubts within the first 15minutes of the film.

As each character unfolds, I kept thinking-  What is the link among all the characters? What is the thread that connects them all? 

At one point, we might slightly get confused and frustrated but that is only because we are so engrossed in the film that we want to know the mystery. As the climax unfolds, we sit there and marvel at the brilliance of simplicity!