Aakashavaani (Eng: Radio) is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language slice-of-life drama film directed by debutant Ashwin Gangaraju. Aakashavaani features Samuthirakani, Vinay Varma, Teja Kakumanu and Prashanth in prominent roles. Aakashavaani tells the story of tribal people in a remote location of Andhra Pradesh who treat a radio as a talking God. The music for Aakashavaani is composed by Kaala Bhairava with editing by A. Sreekar Prasad. Initially scheduled for a theatrical release, Aakashavaani was released on the streaming platform SonyLIV on 24 September 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A tribe in the forests hills of Andhra Pradesh lives under the tight grip of Dora (Lord in Telugu) who forbids anyone from entering or leaving the village without his permission. Violators are severely punished and at times killed by Dora’s henchman Sambadu. The tribe, however, believes that Dora is a do-gooder who is equal to God. Rangadu’s son Giddadu is responsible for herding the sheep. One day, he comes across a radio with a cotton candy distributor and exchanges it for a lamb. Sambadu is furious that the lamb was traded without his knowledge and brutally thrashes Giddadu. The tribe’s priest is unable to heal Giddadu and asks everyone to pray the God for his life. They listen to the murmuring sound of the radio and follow its instructions to save Giddadu. The tribe, who have no knowledge of what a radio is, believe it’s an incarnation of God speaking to them.
Meanwhile, Dora’s only child is in critical condition due to jaundice. The tribe meets Dora and asks his permission to build a temple for their newfound God. Upon hearing that God saved Giddadu, Dora accepts their proposal with an intention to sacrifice Giddadu to save his child’s life. He sets up a painted electrical pole as Dhwaja Stambham and inaugurates the temple. Dora and his assistant Lingayya realize that the tribe was praying to the radio but laugh it off. During their celebration, Giddadu is kidnapped and sent for sacrifice. The tribe watches a light climb up the hill and believes God was taking Giddadu away. Ranga helplessly begs God to save Giddadu, and the radio replies to stop the light before it reaches the hilltop. Ranga runs to save Giddadu but the light reaches the hilltop before him. While returning, he comes across Chandram and Srinu who met with an accident. Rangadu takes them to their village for treatment. The tribe is wary of outsiders but the radio asks them to treat their relatives nicely. Upon realizing that Dora was using the villagers as his salves for his illegal Cannabis cultivation, Chandram exposes him when Dora kicks the priest for non-compliance. The tribe still refuses to believe that Dora is evil, and sends Chadram and Srinu away upon his orders. Later, they are kidnapped by Dora who orders his men to kill them. While they are being taken to the hilltop on a tractor, Chandram wakes up and fights off the driver. The tribe for the first time watches the light (which is revealed to be the tractor’s headlight) come down the hill and believe that Chandram is sent back by God.
Chandram makes the tribe listen to Hiranyakashipu and Prahlada’s story on the radio, and compares Dora to the evil Hiranyakashipu and the tribe to the benevolent Prahlada. He convinces them that he had met the God who asked him to rid the village of Dora. On the other hand, Dora’s child is dead and Sambadu complains to him that they lost their hold on the tribe due to the radio. Dora and his men attack the tribe who fights back. Sambadu goes on to destroy the radio but Rangadu kills him in retaliation. Dora hacks Rangadu from behind and dares God to kill him if he exists. Lightning strikes the electric pole and kills Dora who was standing beneath it.
Directed by Ashwin Gangaraju
Screenplay by Ashwin Gangaraju, Sandeep Raj & Sai Kumar Reddy
Story by Ashwin Gangaraju
Dialogue by Sai Madhav Burra
Produced by Padmanabha Reddy
Starring Samuthirakani, Vinay Varma, Teja Kakumanu, Prashant
Cinematography Suresh Ragutu
Edited by A. Sreekar Prasad
Music by Kaala Bhairava
Production AU&I Studios
Distributed by SonyLIV
Release date 24 September 2021
Running time 132 minutes
Country India
Language Tamil
