Santhana Prapthirasthu Review

We have seen many films explore female infertility and the stigma surrounding it. Male infertility, however, is a relatively new subject in popular culture. Unlike female infertility, it is often approached with humour and carries far less stigma. Even so, very few movies have addressed this theme, and Santhana Prapthirasthu is the latest in a very short list. In many ways, this film stands apart from recent Tollywood releases. It feels refreshing - the casting choices and the overall treatment are largely realistic, and the movie avoids unnecessary action and mass elements.

Chaitanya (Vikranth Reddy), a senior software professional, falls in love with Kalyani (Chandini Chowdary), despite the objections of her father (Muralidhar Goud). The two marry secretly, hoping her father will accept their relationship once they have a child. But months pass and Kalyani doesn't conceive. After medical tests, Chaitanya learns that Kalyani is fertile, while he has a very low sperm count - a truth he chooses to hide from her. He consults Dr Bhramaram (Vennela Kishore) to increase his sperm count. And at the same time Kalyani's father drops in at the couple's place to live with them.

Before you find out whether the movie is entertaining, it makes an impact in two important ways by spreading awareness about male infertility. First, even before the film begins, it adds the line "it also leads to low sperm count" to the statutory warning on smoking and alcohol consumption. Then, a few minutes into the movie, it factually explains the causes of male infertility, especially stress, lack of sleep, smoking and alcohol, among others.

Now, the topic itself is sensitive, and it isn't easy to make it entertaining without becoming preachy or hurting sentiments. The film manages to strike that balance to an extent. For the most part, it delivers what it promises - comedy. However, the second half shifts noticeably toward melodrama.

Chaitanya's reason for hiding his low sperm count feels overly simplistic and unconvincing. The film says he keeps it to himself because he is an introvert, but in reality, such situations often involve deeper issues, including the male ego. Similarly, the reason for Kalyani's father disliking Chaitanya - simply because he is overprotective - also feels shallow. There should have been more to it.

Even so, if you overlook these weak justifications, the situations built around male infertility are both realistic and humorous. The film captures the everyday struggles - balancing corporate commitments, hiding the condition from colleagues, visiting doctors, taking time off for infertility treatment, and making excuses at home and at work. All of this naturally leads to several amusing moments. And then put Vennela Kishore into the mix.

Kishore shines as the infertility doctor. He is effortlessly funny, and this time he gets a generous share of dialogues. One standout scene is where he explains erectile dysfunction and low sperm count to two patients using vehicle, petrol and engine metaphors - it is genuinely hilarious and sure to earn belly laughs.

The other performances are decent. Vikrant fits well as the boy-next-door IT professional, and his portrayal in the workplace feels convincing. However, as a lover, husband and son-in-law, his performance is fairly average. Chandini does well as the doting wife, but the script doesn't give her much scope to showcase her range. Muralidhar's character is written as a strict father, but he often drifts into comedic territory.

The production values are modest, so don't expect any cinematic spectacle. The music is not particularly memorable or hummable, but the song picturisation is good. None of the songs follow the typical Tollywood formula of the lead pair dancing energetically with dozens of background dancers.

Overall, Santhana Prapthirasthu is a good one-time watch.