Arun Chandu's science-fiction mockumentary hybrid film Gaganachari bagged the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Brilliance at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards. Sharing his joy about the win with CE, Arun quips, "What can I say? I feel like Jayasurya's character in the climax of Chocolate (2007). Aadyaayittaa ignane okke oru angeekaaram... (It's the first time I'm receiving such recognition.)"
Recalling the moment he came to know about the award, Arun laughs while saying, "It was quite amusing on the morning the award was announced. After visiting a temple in Kunnamangalam early in the day and having breakfast, I went back to sleep. That's when I received a call from a radio station, and before I knew it, I was live on air. They immediately congratulated me and asked how I felt. Confused, I asked, 'For what?' I might have spoiled their live broadcast slightly, but they were the first to inform me about the award."
Gaganachari has a unique backdrop centred on an alien invasion in Kerala, with a milieu reminiscent of Kilukkam (1991), except that Revathy's character is an extraterrestrial being. This prestigious accolade brought Arun a sense of extreme contentment, as his film "received this recognition for attempting something new in the Malayalam film industry." The filmmaker also recounts, "Even when the film was released theatrically, Lijo Jose Pellissery sir told me the same thing—that it was a huge achievement, not just to attempt something different but to execute it fairly well."
Arun dedicates this honour to the late prolific filmmakers KG George and Stanley Kubrick. "KG George sir, who inspired even the likes of Lijo sir, was the true flagbearer of such daring efforts in our industry, with films that were always ahead of their time. I couldn’t think of a better person to dedicate this to. Honestly, none of us have even come close to what he envisioned and communicated back then, even now. Yathrayude Anthyam (1991), which is experiencing newfound attention with portions of the film becoming popular as Instagram reels, is the best example of his profound foresight," praises Arun, adding, "As for Stanley Kubrick, since we were attempting something unfamiliar to our audiences, much like he always did, I posted a story with his photo on Instagram on the first day of shooting Gaganachari writing, ‘Aashaane, njangal thudangunnu’ (Sir, we are beginning)."
