Saripodhaa Sanivaaram review and rating
Director: Vivek Athreya
Producer : D. V. V. Danayya
Starring: Nani, S. J. Suryah, Priyanka Arul Mohan
Cinematography: Murali G.
Editor: Karthika Srinivas
Music Director: Jakes Bejoy
Release date: 29 August 2024
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram, directed by Vivek Athreya and starring Nani has hit the screen today. Let’s see how the film is.
Plot: The story revolves around Surya (Nani), who has struggled with anger issues since childhood. His mother extracts a promise from him that he will only engage in fights on Saturdays. This unusual promise forms the crux of the movie, as Surya chooses a notorious police official, Daya (SJ Suryah), as his target. The movie explores why Surya picks Daya for his Saturday brawls and how, through these encounters, he ends up rescuing the oppressed people of Sokulapalem from Daya’s tyranny.
Performances and Technical Aspects: Nani plays the lead role of Surya, a character with intense anger issues capable of taking down multiple adversaries. While Nani delivers a competent performance, his portrayal lacks the mass appeal and physicality typically required for such a role. The emotional depth expected from a Nani film is also missing, leaving the audience wanting more from his performance.
SJ Suryah steals the show with his portrayal of Daya, the ruthless police officer. His performance is powerful and adds significant weight to the film. As the antagonist, he brings a sense of menace that drives the film’s narrative, making him the standout performer.
Priyanka Arul Mohan, who plays the female lead, is underutilized in a poorly written role. Her character adds little to the story, and she is easily forgettable. The supporting cast, including seasoned actors like Murali Sharma, Sai Kumar, and Ajay, deliver decent performances, but their roles are not fleshed out enough to leave a lasting impact.
On the technical front, Jake Bejoy’s background score is the highlight, adding tension and energy to the film’s intense moments. However, his songs fail to leave a mark. The cinematography by Murali G is average, offering nothing visually striking. Karthika Srinivas’s editing leaves much to be desired, as the film feels unnecessarily long and, at times, tedious. The production values by DVV Entertainment are decent, but they cannot compensate for the movie’s narrative shortcomings.
Analysis: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram had the potential to be a standout action film with its unique premise of a protagonist who fights only on Saturdays. Unfortunately, the film falls short due to weak characterization and a lack of engaging action sequences. Director Vivek Athreya, who previously succeeded with more subtle storytelling in Ante Sundaraniki, seems out of his depth here in the mass action genre.
The first half of the movie spends too much time setting up the characters and the plot, with little payoff. The action sequences, which should have been the film’s selling point, lack the necessary punch, making them feel routine rather than exciting. The movie’s pace picks up slightly in the second half, but it is not enough to salvage the overall experience.
The emotional connections between Surya and the people of Sokulapalem feel forced, and the heroine’s track is lifeless, adding nothing to the narrative. Even the key plot points, like how Daya discovers Surya’s Saturday fighting routine, are handled in a flat, uninteresting manner. The movie also suffers from logical inconsistencies, which, while sometimes forgivable in mass films, are too glaring here to ignore.
Verdict: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is a movie with an intriguing premise but fails to deliver due to its lackluster execution. Despite a strong performance from SJ Suryah and a few tense moments, the film does not live up to expectations. It is a one-time watch for those with low expectations and a tolerance for lengthy, low-key action films.
Rating: 2/5.
