- Date of Release: 29 August 2024
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- Language: Telugu
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
Introduction
So Nani is Nani and Kichcha Sudeep from the Telugu film Makkhi😂. The standard mass masala template has been a bread and butter for the Telugu Film Industry wherein majority of the Telugu films are still mounted on the same foundation. As a result, there is often a risk associated with these projects given how similar the end product would look should they be compared with each other. This is where Nani’s new film Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is different in many ways. It does take the mass masala template alright, but completely turns it on its head by treating it as a superhero movie of a graphic novel. So all of a sudden, people flying in action sequences made a lot of sense in a particular scene, even as the lead protagonist was introduced amidst the outburst of a red light illuminating the screens, only to dwell in the hues further. Such was the prowess of the filmmaking style of Vivek Athreya that infuses the narrative with a fiery blitz while also backing it up with a screenplay that is engaging and entertaining to the core! As a result, I found myself cheering voraciously for the protagonist, while also being brilliantly invested in the drama!
Story & Screenplay
From the story point of view, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram doesn’t have anything new to say. It follows a generic story of a protagonist suffering from anger management issues who promises his mother of only unleashing his anger on a Saturday while remaining calm and marking his victims throughout the week. And his nemesis is a police officer who has imposed a terror in a village, having suffered from anger management issues himself, by randomly beating villagers day in and day out. And their eventual face-off is what forms the rest of the tale. Yet, the idea of taking this mass template and absolutely turning it on its head was such a brilliant creative decision. Presenting your protagonist as a superhero from a graphic novel, and giving him an origin story of sorts was absolutely brilliant to witness over a screenplay standing at a whopping length of 170 minutes. But is the screenplay absolutely pitch perfect, the answer is a No. Still, does it end up being engaging and entertaining, HELL YEAH!
One of the shortcomings of the screenplay is that it is a tad too long, as a result of which some portions do get slightly repetitive, and others which don’t necessarily come together the way it ought to have. For instance, one of the emotional cores of the drama featuring the sibling bond between the protagonist and his sister does not completely engulf the narrative. The more interesting core for me was the bond between the protagonist and his mother that acts as a connecting thread with a layer of palpable emotions throughout the narrative. Also, the portion involving the reason of the wrath of the antagonist towards the village needed a little more time to invest in the lives of the villagers. But these are minor flaws in an otherwise incredibly written screenplay that catches you by surprise.
There are several portions in the screenplay that give you an impression that the writing is fragmented and completely unrelated to the central plot of the film. But credit to the writers for seamlessly integrating the portions into the main narrative by almost utilizing the call back feature to absolute perfection. As a result, you don’t question the logic of the drama that could so easily have been passed off as a matter of convenience or the one taking creating liberties. As a part of the mass masala template, there are often subplots involving a romantic relief or a comedy track that has no relevance to the final outcome of the project. But here, I was amazed at how well the romantic and comedic sequences were integrated, while also doubling up by leaving the cringe behind. As a result, the events felt organic and quite engaging. I absolutely loved the romantic angle between the protagonist and his girlfriend while integrating meta-banters of Nani’s own film from 2012, Makkhi. There was a playful energy while never losing sight of the central theme of the film – the protagonist unleashing his wrath only on Saturdays.
I was equally invested in the sequence involving the antagonist and how there is a cat and mouse game in play, firstly with his own brother, and secondly with the protagonist. The element of mystery created by the presence of a ‘superhero’ amongst the villagers who had arrived to eliminate the fear in the minds of the villagers, was a superb addition to the drama. The coherent screenplay is engaging and definitely takes baby steps leading towards the ultimate face-off between the two men of wrath, and while the finale sequence was so well choreographed, I did feel that the face-off could have lasted that much more longer. But taking nothing away from the screenplay that was just so well written and it makes for an incredible watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pitch perfect in accordance to the mood of the drama that seamlessly shift genres while staying true to the themes of the film. The music is excellent and the songs are well integrated in the narrative. But a word of appreciation for Jakes Bejoy for the resounding and pulsating BGM. Remember King Of Kothaa and how the efforts of Jakes with the BGM had atleast made the film somewhat watchable? The same is the case here with the only difference that the screenplay worked big time too! How well does Jakes understand the world while integrating his beats that absolutely leave you on a high! The cinematography is excellent as well featuring frames that coupled with the lighting give a perception of a graphic superheto novel. The drone shot capturing all the chaos at the end will also go down as one of my favourites, and I absolutely loved the action set pieces too. The editing is good too but at times slightly over done, particular while capturing the action sequences. The 2X speed integrating fast cuts wasn’t needed because the sequences were already shot really well.
Director Vivek Athreya is showing signs of being a visionary already. This is what a new voice does, takes an age-old template and absolutely turns it on its head while retaining the entertaining quotients of the narrative. I was super impressed with his presentation and filmmaking technique that had a perfect world building mechanism, an incredible protagonist and antagonist, while continuing to be playful with its central theme. If you notice, there were moments of wraths in the narrative but interspersed between several playful moments just like the theme involving the protagonist letting out his wrath on a Saturday. The filmmaking is brilliant and something to savour, cherish and study.
Performances
The performances are brilliant by the ensemble cast. Harshvardhan as Sudha and Ajay as Govardhan have their moments to shine. Murli Sharma as Koormanand has a playful presence and contributes really well towards the comedic portions of the film, without ever going overboard with the cringe. Aditi Balan as Bhadra has a sweet presence and does a good job although her character was underwritten (or alternately not quite required in the larger scheme of things). Abhirami as Chayadevi is sincere and earnest and leaves a lasting impression despite a limited screentime. Sai Kumar as Shankaram is well restrained and delivers a rather measured performance. Priyanka Arul Mohan as Charulatha is commendable with her act, and there is a sense of sweetness underlying her character that she taps into beautifully. And I liked how her character was contributing to the screenplay as opposed to just being there for her looks.
I usually bring the lead protagonist and his performance at the very end but here, I have reserved the top spot for another brilliant performer. Nani as Surya (ahh the irony!) is in top form here while balancing his virtues of gan service while also backing it with an imcredibky brilliant performance, like he always does. He has such a towering presence that coaxes you to root for him, even as he excels in combat scenes and being excellent in some of the dramatic and emotional sequences. I am always a fan of Nani, and always will be!
The performance of the film though has got to belong to an actor who has been in red hot form for quite some time now. SJ Suryah is one of the finest actors doing the rounds, and as Daya, he delivers yet another knockout performance. To give you a perspective, he has been playing the roles of antagonists one after another, lately in his filmography. But he adds such a unique trait to each of his characters that completely sets them apart from each other. Here, there is a sense of madness to be seen in his eyes, while using his unhinged body language to perfection! His character demanded physicality, at times in the form of a comedy too, and boy was he brilliant to the core in what was a memorable act of the highest order!
Conclusion
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is a fiery mass masala entertainer packaged as a graphic superhero novel that makes for a brilliant watch. The filmmaking technique here was a thing to savour coupled with an incredibly resounding background score, and some great performances that set the drama apart, so much so that I was willing to overlook a few of its flaws. Jeez, this has got to be my favourite telugu film of 2024 (so far), a drama that comes with my highest recommendation! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!
