Gaganachari, written by Arun Chandu and Siva Sai, and directed by Chandu himself, is a hilarious yet thought-provoking dystopian comedy set in the 2040s. The story centers on three troubled bachelors whose seemingly mundane lives take an unexpected turn when their apartment becomes a hideout for an alien fugitive. This unique Malayalam film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Director Arun Chandu’s mockumentary-style film, co-written with Siva Sai, blends comedy and dystopian elements with a Kerala twist, offering a future that is both laughable and terrifying.
Set in the year 2043, Gaganachari imagines a post-apocalyptic Kerala where the state has gone through bizarre events like a “beef war,” resulting in the invention of “geef,” a disturbing lab-grown mix of lamb and dog. Petrol is a thing of the past, with electric vehicles controlled by government-installed GPS systems that track citizens’ every move. The state is a full-fledged surveillance society, rife with police brutality, caste-based discrimination, food rationing, and restrictions on public spaces. To make matters worse, alien invaders have added to the chaos.
The movie follows three key characters—Allen (played by Gokul Suresh), Vaibhav (portrayed by Aju Varghese), and Victor (played by KB Ganesh Kumar)—who find themselves stuck in Victor’s underground bunker on a remote Kerala island. Adding to the mix is Raghavan, a Malayali version of Alexa, who keeps the trio in check with his sharp wit. Victor, a former soldier and self-proclaimed “alien hunter,” is haunted by a strange encounter with a female extraterrestrial fugitive who once appeared in his living room.
What sets Gaganachari apart is its meticulously crafted world. While post-apocalyptic films often draw heavily on Western settings, Arun Chandu imagines a distinctly Malayali future, where Kerala’s familiar landscapes—lush trees, tranquil backwaters, and submerged stadiums—become eerie, dystopian markers. Surjith S Pai’s atmospheric cinematography, paired with Sankar Sharma’s music and the precise editing by Ceejay Achu and Aravind Manmadhan, bring this unsettling yet captivating world to life. The film’s special effects are impressively executed, standing out in an industry where even high-budget productions often struggle with convincing CGI.
