A heartfelt lesson in empathy

OME films arrive with so much heart that even their flaws start to feel oddly charming.

- ADITYA DEVULAPALLY

Anaganaga, a film which is currently streaming on ETV Win, is one such offering. Built around the enduring premise of a progressive teacher fighting the archaic education system, the film doesn't reinvent the wheel. It doesn't try to. But its intention is clear, its empathy is sincere, and most importantly, it understands that stories can sometimes do what systems cannot reach a child's soul.

The story revolves around Vyas (Sumanth), a school teacher with a gentle demeanour and a love for narrative-based learning. He is the sort of character who believes that children are not vessels to be filled with information but minds to be nourished with imagination. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods don't sit well with his wife, Bhagyalakshmi (Kajal Choudhary), who also happens to be the principal of the corporate school where they both work. When their son Ram (Master Viharsh) flunks his exams, the administration decides that Vyas must go. Humiliated but not broken, Vyas sets up his own school for so-called average students, hoping to prove that education is not just about ranks and grades.