The recent film Gaganachari has proven to be a surprising hit at the box office. Directed by Arun Chandu, this hilarious sci-fi mockumentary has captivated audiences across India. Aju Varghese, who plays a pivotal role in the movie, is delighted and somewhat surprised at the overwhelming response.
“It has been overwhelming. We are thrilled that the film has been released across India,” said Varghese. This sentiment echoes the general astonishment felt by the entire team, who initially weren’t sure how audiences would receive the film’s unique concept.
Gaganachari transports viewers to a post-apocalyptic Kerala in the year 2043, ravaged by floods and threatened by alien invasion. The story revolves around Victor Vasudevan Valaparambil, an ex-military officer and alien hunter played brilliantly by KB Ganesh Kumar. Supporting him are his quirky sidekicks, Allan Jose Valaparambil, portrayed by Gokul Suresh, and Vaibhav Vydyanathan, a.k.a. Vibe, played by Aju Varghese. The trio’s lives take a chaotic turn when an alien, portrayed by Anarkali Marikar, begins living with them.
Varghese shines as Vaibhav, a former social media influencer and a ladies’ man struggling to adapt to life without the Internet. Reduced to being Victor’s cook, it is Vaibhav who unwittingly brings the alien into their bunker life.
The story of Gaganachari came to Varghese during the post-production phase of Saajan Bakery, another film by Chandu. “Arun Chandu comes up with whacky, crazy themes because of his exposure to world cinema. However, I wasn’t sure if people would understand the concept of a mockumentary. But the audience proved me wrong,” Varghese explained. This sentiment is bolstered by Fahadh Faasil’s encouragement, who had remarked that “anything could be experimented with in Malayalam cinema for the next five years.”
Arun Chandu initially envisioned Gaganachari as a dark film. “It was a tough time for all of us because of the pandemic,” noted Varghese. “That’s why I asked him whether we should add to the already depressing situation.” The team experimented with various lighter ideas before finalizing the current humorous narrative. For instance, one of their concepts was inspired by the old film Kilukkam, pondering hilariously, “what if Revathy chechi’s character was an alien?”
Ganesh Kumar was the first choice to play Victor, a role he inhabited brilliantly.
. “We both love him as an actor, and his potential hasn’t been fully tapped yet. His Pathanapuram dialect and delivery of dialogues are delightful,” said Varghese. Gokul Suresh, having previously worked with Chandu, was a natural fit for Allan.
Voices play a significant role in Gaganachari too. Mallika Sukumaran lent her voice to the elderly alien, while dubbing artist Abraham Joseph voiced the AI Raghavan. “In Mallikamma’s case, we needed an aged voice that was also popular to evoke laughter,” Varghese said. The team had initially wanted Nedumudi Venu for Raghavan’s voice but had to find alternatives after his passing.
Reflecting on his role as Vaibhav, Varghese admitted he was initially unsure if he could do justice to it. “I had done roles like Minnal Murali and Meppadiyan by then, and my mindset had changed. I had put on weight and my approach to acting had evolved. I even asked Chandu if Vaibhav could be portrayed as an older character.” However, Chandu convinced him to lose weight and stick to the original role, highlighting his confidence in Varghese’s ability to perform.
Aju Varghese has always thrived under directors who can bring out the best in him. “One is Vineeth [Sreenivasan], whom I consider my mentor. Ahammed Khabeer is another director who did that in the web series Kerala Crime Files (KCF),” Varghese mentioned.
Despite his initial confusion over the futuristic and VFX-heavy content of Gaganachari, Varghese embraced the challenge. “Even though I was clueless, I wasn’t bothered because in some cases, imperfections add up to become perfect and that’s what happened in Gaganachari.”
After 14 years in the Malayalam film industry and a pandemic that made him more selective with roles, Varghese continues to navigate his career carefully. He noted projects like Minnal Murali, KCF, and Perilloor Premier League (PPF) as part of his evolving portfolio. Notably, he never reads full scripts, preferring to trust the director’s vision for the film.
Interestingly, Varghese has decided to step away from producing films. “It was a dream, and I am done with it, just like I gave up my wish to become a director! I have realized that acting is the only thing I don’t crib about.”
Alongside current projects like Identity and Ajayante Randam Moshanam, Varghese’s upcoming ventures include a Tamil film directed by Ram starring Mirchi Shiva, another Tamil project titled Moon Walk starring Prabhu Deva, and a web series Love Under Construction directed by Vishnu Raghav.
As he continues on this varied and evolving journey, one thing is clear: Aju Varghese is an actor deeply committed to his craft, ever willing to explore new horizons and challenge his own limits.
