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The Hindu
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Uppu Kapurambu' movie review: Keerthy Suresh and Suhas anchor a partly-entertaining dramedy on life and death
It is a scenario straight out of the wildest dreams, or nightmares. An entire village, dressed in festive finery, gathers around a specially constructed stage. There is anticipation in the air, a celebratory mood. But the master of ceremonies (Vishnu Oi), a man summoned from a neighbouring town, is left stunned when he learns the purpose of the event: a lucky draw to determine who will win slots in the village burial ground, now perilously close to running out of space. Director Ani IV Sasi, who previously helmed the offbeat Telugu romance Ninnila Ninnila, returns with Uppu Kapurambu — a madcap satire that takes on the politics of death, land, and legacy. Screenwriter Vasanth Maringanti weaves in layered subtexts touching upon gender, caste, money, and power, exposing the absurdity of fighting over land meant for one's final rest. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, this eccentric comedy gets a major boost from a cast that includes Keerthy Suresh, Suhas, and veterans Babu Mohan and Talluri Rameswari. Set in the fictional village of Chitti Jayapuram in 1990s undivided Andhra Pradesh, the film creates a universe that feels both outlandish and uncannily believable. The absurdity is deliberate, but the attention to detail — be it in Sri Nagendra Tangala's production design, Poojita Tadikonda's pitch-perfect costumes, or Divakar Mani's earthy cinematography — grounds the story in a very real milieu. Sweekar Agasthi's music, too, hits the right notes, adding whimsy without overplaying its hand. Uppu Kapurambu (Telugu) Director: Ani IV Sasi Cast: Keerthy Suresh, Suhas, Babu Mohan Run time: 134 minutes Story: As a village burial ground nearly runs out of space triggering a fight for slots, the new female village head has to find solutions Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video It takes a while to settle into the film's farcical, morbid tone. One early scene sets the stage following the death of a village head — his burial becomes less a solemn occasion and more a social gathering, complete with idle gossip, performative weeping and irreverent humour. His daughter, Apoorva (Keerthy Suresh), is reluctantly thrust into the spotlight as the heir to the post — a role passed down through generations. Things spiral when Chinna (Suhas), the caretaker of the village graveyard, discovers that burial space is rapidly running out. This simple logistical issue triggers a snowballing crisis of power, privilege, and pettiness. Apoorva, woefully inexperienced, fumbles through her newfound responsibilities. Her bungled attempts at diplomacy are laced with biting satire, particularly in a scene where she tries to deflect scrutiny by bringing up the Iran war and tomato prices in the same breath. Babu Mohan as a well-off, elderly aspirant for her position, and Shatru as a fiery young challenger, embody the absurd politicking that underpins this death-centric tale. Sasi and Maringanti craft a village that thrives on absurdity over logic, but after a point, the humour turns laboured. The whimsy that starts off fresh begins to feel overly exaggerated and even cartoonish in tone. Amid the chaos, it is Chinna and his mother (played by a grounded Talluri Rameswari) who emerge as the film's conscience. Years of working as the graveyard's caretakers has given them the wisdom about death being the great equaliser, or is it? After all, the elite still manage to secure premium burial plots and ornate headstones. As the film sprawls into multiple subplots, Uppu Kapurambu loses some of its sharpness. The 2-hour-14-minute runtime begins to drag, weighed down by gags and a wavering tone. However, the narrative regains some traction in its final act. The film ends on a poignant note, reflecting on how status and pride, often derived from power and wealth, can prove futile in the face of mortality. Apoorva's evolution into a village leader is conceptually compelling, but her arc lacks emotional heft. Keerthy Suresh gives it her best, yet the comedic beats written for her character rarely land. It's only in the final scenes, when she muses on the symbolism of the film's title, that she finds her footing. Suhas, ever dependable, brings nuance and relatability to Chinna. His performance, understated yet effective, carries the emotional weight that the film sometimes fumbles elsewhere. Uppu Kapurambu has an intriguing premise and flashes of brilliance, but its inconsistent execution stops it from becoming a truly memorable satire. (The film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video)
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Screenwriter Vasanth Maringanti discusses quitting his software job to write ‘Uppu Kapurambu' and ‘Subham'
'Writing is a full-time job; not everyone takes to it with the intention of becoming a director,' says Vasanth Maringanti. Vasanth is the screenwriter of Telugu indie films Cinema Bandi and Subham. His next work, Uppu Kapurambu directed by Ani IV Sasi and starring Keerthy Suresh and Suhas, will stream on Amazon Prime Video from July 4. Cinema Bandi was a charming story of villagers trying their hand at filmmaking when they chance upon a high-end camera. A one-line idea from director Praveen Kandregula and Vasanth, along with Praveen and co-writer Krishna Pratyusha, turned it into an uplifting comedy drama. The recently-released horror comedy Subham, produced by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was written by Vasanth in collaboration with filmmaker Raj Nidimoru, and explored the possibility of women being possessed while watching television soaps. In between all the laughter, the narrative worked as a commentary on gender dynamics. 'I would observe how my grandmother and others were emotionally drawn towards serials. I exaggerated that situation in a work of fiction,' Vasanth explains. Graveyard woes Uppu Kapurambu emerged when Vasanth read a news article about the lack of graveyard space in a region. 'I lead a boring life, so I try to make my stories far more interesting,' Vasanth says with a laugh, during this interview in Hyderabad. 'I wrote Uppu… in a month and a half, my fastest yet. More than just a story, how people react to a situation interests me.' Screenwriting was a natural progression of Vasanth's interest in writing. He wrote short stories in school and remembers finding a diary from 1997 in which he had penned a two-page story titled 'Dracula'. Growing up in Kakinada, like many youngsters in the Telugu states, he too studied engineering. While in college, he wrote, 'The Day After My Death,' on a whim. 'It was a bad book,' he says with a chuckle. 'I approached a store that prints wedding cards and asked if they would publish it if I paid them. Nearly 150 copies were printed and I circulated them among my family and friends.' Vasanth worked as a software engineer for 14 years with five leading MNCs. Simultaneously, he began blogging. 'All through that time, I wanted to quit,' he says. 'Writing was my escape and during that period, I wanted to assess if people enjoyed reading what I wrote. The feedback I received for my blogs helped me understand that.' He also worked on a book which was rejected by several publishing houses. A chance conversation with actor-director Anish Kuruvilla through Facebook served as a turning point. 'Anish showed interest and said the story could be an interesting film. He was kind enough to talk to me about the basics of screenwriting,' he recalls. The first step Vasanth began reading books on screenwriting and watched movies to understand screenplays. In 2017, Praveen Kandregula, then an aspiring filmmaker, made an enquiry for screenwriters in Bengaluru via social media. 'A friend suggested my name. Incidentally, Praveen and I were working in the same city and lived two kilometres apart. He narrated the one-line story of Cinema Bandi and I sensed it would not only be entertaining, but also garner critical acclaim. That is how my journey in cinema began.' Cinema Bandi streamed directly on Netflix during the pandemic. Six months later, Vasanth quit his job. 'I began getting calls from industry folks for screenwriting, but my full-time job was a limitation.' The decision to quit a well-paying job was not easy. He credits his wife for holding the fort until he found his footing in cinema. 'She is a mobile phone app developer; we have two children and it was not easy for me to let go of an assured monthly salary.' Test of patience Vasanth had grown up admiring the works of writers Mullapudi Venkataramana and Yandamuri Veerendranath, as well as writer-directors Bapu and Jandhyala. Now working on the screenplays of two new films, Vasanth says the most challenging aspect of being a screenwriter is to have the faith and patience until a screenplay is approved and a film goes on the floors. The recognition for Subham motivated him to explore writing further. 'Samantha's name being associated with the film and a theatrical release has meant instant recognition for all of us. The other day at a store, the owner introduced me to his wife and daughter as 'Subham writer', and they told me how much they enjoyed the film. It made my day.' As to the pertinent question of whether screenwriting pays bills, Vasanth pauses and answers, 'Initially it is not easy, but after one or two projects, it definitely gets better.' He also adds that direction is not in his scheme of things, at least for now. 'Many writers turn directors either for monetary reasons or when they think their stories are not being transformed accurately on screen.' Writing is what he set out to do and he is happy in that pursuit.
