Awe (film)

Awe is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language psychological cross genre film written and directed by Prasanth Varma (in his feature debut). It is produced by Nani and Prashanti Tipirneni under their maiden production house Wall Poster Cinema. The film features an ensemble cast of Kajal Aggarwal, Nithya Menen, Regina Cassandra, Eesha Rebba, Srinivas Avasarala, Priyadarshi Pullikonda and Murali Sharma. It also features the voices of Nani and Ravi Teja. Awe deals with issues like child abuse, sexual abuse, lesbianism, and drug abuse.

The central plot of the film revolves around Kali (Kajal Aggarwal), and presents a complex narrative structure, weaving together six distinct yet interconnected stories that unfold simultaneously within the same restaurant. The interconnected stories involve various characters, each representing different facets of Kali's psyche due to her multiple personality disorder (MPD). The film's narrative reaches its resolution when all the characters, except Kali, are revealed to be split personalities of Kali, representing various traumatic phases of her life. The restaurant, a symbolic space, becomes the stage for the convergence of these identities. The film culminates in Kali shooting herself, resulting in the deaths of all the characters within the restaurant, signifying the end of her internal struggle.

The film was released worldwide on 16 February 2018 to positive reviews from critics and audiences and went on to become a commercial success at the box office. At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won the award for Best Special Effects, and Best Make-up.