A heady fusion of two different time periods happens in Arun Chandu’s film, Gaganachari, one that evokes fear and another that evokes nostalgia. The events are set in a post-apocalyptic Kerala, ravaged by flood waters and facing the threat of an alien invasion, even as the conversations between the principal characters evoke the references and sensibilities of Malayalam cinema of the 80s and 90s.
It is a strange balance that the makers are striving to strike here, something which could have easily faltered. But they hit somewhere closer to the sweet spot, partly because pop culture nostalgia is potent and partly because of how well they pull off the VFX and AI-generated imagery, creating a believable world despite the limited budget.
