Cast: Kajal Aggarwal, Nitya Menen, Regina Cassandra, Eesha Rebba, Murali Sharma, Srinivas Avasarala, Rohini
Director: Prashanth Varma
It’s raining debutant directors in Tollywood. This time it is Prashanth Varma who has come up with a film Awe, produced by actor Nani. Many top actresses such as Kajal Aggarwal, Nitya Menen and Regina Cassandra, along with Eesha Rebba, have acted in the film. Awe is a completely new genre experiment in Telugu cinema.
The story revolves around many characters and the crux of the story happens at a cafe. Kali (Kajal Aggarwal) comes to a restaurant and decides to make a drastic move on her birthday. Before she does this, several others enter the cafe.
In another side, a girl named Radha (Eesha Rebba) wants to introduce her would be Krish (Nitya Menen) to her parents. A chef Nala (Priyadarshi) is looking for a job in a hotel but the owner (Pragathi) asks him to prove himself first. He gets help from a fish (Nani’s voiceover) and a tree (Ravi Teja’s voiceover) to do the dishes.
A drug addict Meera (Regina Cassandra) is working in the same hotel and she wants to settle in her life. So she makes a plan with her boyfriend to rob a customer. Another character, a magician (Murali Sharma) is stuck in a washroom and he feels that he is the greatest. The watchman (Avasarala) wishes to meet his parents and hence tries to make a time machine. Each one has a story and all of them are connected to Kali.
Awe is not a simple, regular Telugu cinema. Prashanth Varma is a next generation director and this is his debut film. So he has fresh thoughts.
There are a few Telugu films like Chandamama Kathalu and Manamantha where all characters get connected to one another at the end. This film is also similar in that sense but there is something different in the entire content.
The director has very cleverly introduced all characters and the climax is a big surprise. Also, the director reveals medical reasons why a girl wants to live with another girl. The introduction of Nithya Menen, Eesha Rebba talking with her parents, the Kajal Aggarwal episode etc., are striking scenes.
The director also inserts a social message on child abuse in the film which is the key point of the story. Kudos to actor Nani for producing this film as he is encouraging a talented heart. The scene where the fish and tree talk about themselves have been narrated well.
When it comes to performance, most of the actors have did their roles naturally and lively. Nitya Menen perfectly fits to the role of a psychiatrist. Eesha Rebba is the girl next door whom many can connect themselves to. Priyadarshi has a lengthy role amongst all and he lets us laugh loudly.
Regina comes in a completely different role and her character has a horror element too. Murali Sharma plays the magician. Devadarshini, usually seen as sister or sister-in-law, has got a different role finally.
Pragati, often seen in mother roles to many young actors, has also got a change makeover.
Karthik Ghattamaneni’s cinematography supports the director’s script well. The background music by Mark Robin is also good. Though the length of the film is short and crispy, there are a few boring scenes too that could have been avoided. The magician episode of Murali Sharma is a bit dragging.
The narration is slow and be careful… If you do not understand the climax, you do not understand the film. The film’s key point is the last 15 minutes in which the director very cleverly reveals the connection between the characters. Prashanth Varma has tried something different here.
People, who are on the lookout for a new genre cinema, should watch this film definitely.
