“Saripodhaa Sanivaaram movie review: Fine drama with a weak story”

Movie: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
Evaluation: 2.75/5
Banner: DVV Entertainment
Pour: Nani, Priyanka Arul Mohan, SJ Suryah, Abhirami, Sai Kumar, Murali Sharma, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Harsha Vardhan, Vishnu, Ajay Ghosh, Shivaji Raja, Ajay and others
Music: Jake's Bejoy
Camera: Murali G
Editor: Karthika Srinivas R
Artistic Director: GM Sekhar
Action: Ram Laxman, Real Satish
Producers: DVV Danayya, Kalyan Dasari
Screenplay and direction: Vivek Athreya
Release date: 29 August 2024

Nani, who is in good form, has been all out to promote 'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram'. He claimed that the film is an action drama with a unique screenplay and lots of adrenaline-pumping moments. He assured that he is guaranteed to hit the mark with it.

Did his confidence really pay off? Let's find out.

Story:
The story is set in the fictional Sokula Palem, where Surya (Nani), an LIC agent, struggles with anger management. Before his mother's death, he vowed to express his aggression only on a particular Saturday, and only when he really felt the need to do so.

On the other hand, Inspector Daya (SJ Suryah) is a ruthless cop who beats and bullies people without any reason. He belongs to Sokula Palem. Charulatha (Priyanka Mohan) works there as a cop and is a sensitive person.

When he saves a woman from Daya's anger, Charulatha develops love for Surya. The rest of the drama is about how Surya expresses his anger with Charulatha's help to help the people of Sokula Palem come out of an oppressive world.

Artist appearances:
Nani delivers a good performance and shines in the emotional scenes as usual. However, it is SJ Suryah who steals the show. His characterization is great and he delivers a whistle-worthy performance.

The scenes between Nani and Suryah are great fun because both actors are in top form. Murali Sharma, who plays a politician, also gets a lot of attention and shines in the role.

Priyanka Mohan plays her role with ease and Saikumar, who plays Nani's father, is also impressive. The other actors don't get much screen time. Abhirami makes a brief appearance as Nani's mother.

Technical excellence:
The film features top-notch cinematography. Murali G has shown his ability to capture action scenes by creating certain moods through the use of lighting patterns. The shots of the action sequence where the hero shows his face to the heroine are particularly notable.

Another outstanding technical aspect is the background music. Even though Jakes Bejoy's songs are not remarkable, the background music is certainly a big plus.

The production design is impressive. However, the film suffers from being too long.

Highlights:
Suryah’s performance
Interval episode and two further episodes
Background assessment

Disadvantage:
Climax
Drawn sequences
Length of the film

analysis
'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram' has a unique title, but the basic plot is nothing new. It follows a familiar formula where a common man uses his strength (in this case, his anger) to improve the lives of downtrodden people. It is like any other mass film, but the concept of 'Sanivaaram' (Saturday) offers a unique twist.

Director Vivek Athreya, who proved his brilliant screenplay in 'Brochevarevarura', tries to portray the traditional genre of mass cinema in his style by dividing it into parts and providing a detailed backstory of the protagonist and the reason behind his anger.

The explanation as to why the hero gives vent to his anger only on Saturdays and not on other days is well done and underlines Athreya's strength.

However, after this premise is established, the film introduces the antagonist, Police Inspector Daya (played by Suryah), and the concept of Sokulapalem, where people live in fear of this ruthless cop. From this point on, the film becomes a typical mass film with predictable scenes like the hero's argument at home when his pregnant sister arrives, and so on.

While Daya's characterization is unique, the sequences gradually become repetitive. There is also an unclear conflict between Daya's character and his brother's character (played by Murali Sharma).

Two scenes in the first half stand out: one where Nani and Surya meet outside a government hospital and another during their encounter during the interval.

During the interval, it becomes clear that the rest of the film will revolve around the confrontation between Nani and Surya, which makes the narrative seem familiar.

Vivek Athreya's strong screenplay comes to the fore in the penultimate sequence, 'Dagudu Moothalu', which narrates the way Suryah's character finds out who attacked him in a gripping way. This sequence, lasting around 20 minutes, is very gripping. However, towards the end, the film slips back into typical mode. The drawn-out climax is a significant drawback.

The film has as many interesting and entertaining moments as it does predictable ones. As a result, it is neither consistently engaging to watch nor can it be dismissed as a typical action film. The opportunity to create a clever mass action film is wasted.

In terms of the screenplay, the use of a clock that runs ten minutes slow due to a character's action in the beginning, which becomes relevant during a fight scene in the second half, is an example of a 'perfect denouement'. However, the idea of ​​the entire population of Sokulapalem fearing a cop and not turning to courts or other politicians follows a typical mass film template. These examples show both the intelligence and predictability of Vivek Athreya's narrative. There are also numerous logical inconsistencies.

A major drawback is the length of the film. With just one song, the film is almost three hours long and therefore seems rather long-winded. Many scenes could have been tightened up and told more succinctly.

Overall, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is an average action drama with impressive and routine moments. It is not entirely satisfying, promises a lot but delivers only to a certain extent. You can watch it for SJ Suryah's performance and a few outstanding episodes, but be prepared to sit through almost three hours. “Saripoledu,” as they say, means “it didn't come out as expected.”

Conclusion: Day of Wrath