Sampradayini Suppini Suddapoosani Review

I don't know how many of you are aware of TV films and theatrical films, but I guess not many. In the '80s and '90s, we used to have movies that were screened in theatres and movies that were broadcast only on TV, most of which were funded by NFDC.

Some TV movies were actually better than the ones screened in theatres. However, there is a big difference between a TV movie and a theatrical film in terms of production values, detailing, acting and technicality. I was looking forward to Sampradayini Suppini Suddapoosani by Sivaji. I did watch it, but when I walked out of the theatre, I felt it would have been better as a TV film. In other words, it did not quite deserve a theatrical release.

Sriram (Sivaji) is a righteous panchayat secretary who lives with his wife Uthara (Laya) and their son Mittu (Rohan). After Sriram has a public quarrel with some locals, SI Vikram (Prince) - who has a special liking for Sriram's wife - visits Sriram's home, where he (the SI) dies, triggering a chain of unexpected events that drag Sriram and his family into a messy situation.

Sampradayini tries to be everything and ends up being nothing - in the sense that it offers nothing you haven't seen before. It starts as a black comedy but loses its grip very soon. It is so lazily put together that you can clearly see the influence of many good films, including Drishyam and Thudaram. However, the movie is not sincere even in attempting to recreate them properly.

The suspicious death of a police officer in a private home, the circumstances that lead to the accident, and the frightened family's attempt to cover it up offer plenty of scope to spice up the script. But the film doesn't explore this. Instead, it focuses on the righteous Sriram and his chaotic family. For the most part, the movie dwells more on the family's eccentricities than on the central issue - the death of a police officer and its repercussions.

The film actually begins well and holds up until almost the halfway mark. For a while, it does feel like the dark comedy that Sivaji promised. But after that, it begins to test your patience, quickly turning into a mediocre mess. The mediocrity only increases with time, and at some point, it no longer feels like cinema.

The performances are just okay, almost like those in a TV film. The lead actors, Sivaji and Laya, are good performers, and it shows. Sivaji convincingly plays a simple, middle-class husband, while Laya portrays his quirky and often nagging wife with equal conviction. However, most of the supporting cast seem planted purely for comedy, which sadly doesn't work - it all feels rehearsed and artificial.

Technically, the cinematography is what makes the film stand out - kudos to the cameraman and the crew for the authentic visuals of the Telugu hinterland. However, the audio, including both the background score and the songs that play intermittently, is largely insignificant.

Overall, Sampradayini looks cheap - and is cheap. It feels dull both in writing and in execution. As I mentioned, it seems undeserving of a theatrical release. There are many moving and honest Telugu films based on rural realities - go watch KA instead, you won't regret it.