‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’ is a wholesome entertainer particularly for those likeVenkatesh’s brand of comic timing and Anil Ravipudi’s whacky storytelling.
Sankranthiki Vasthunam (Telugu), 13-01-2025, Action, Comedy, 2 hours 24 minutes, U/A, Theatre
- Main Cast: Venkatesh, Aishwarya Rajesh, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Upendra Limaye
- Director: Anil Ravipudi
- Producer: Shirish
- Music Director: Bheems Ceciroleo
- Cinematography: Sameer Reddy
- Rating: 3.5/5
In a short span of time, Anil Ravipudi has established himself as a successful commercial director. His stories rely more on punch lines and outlandish humour rather than a coherent storyline.
However, the conviction with which he narrates his stories and the actor’s commitment makes them hugely enjoyable. Very good examples are F2: Fun and Frustration (2019) and its sequel F3 (2022).
The director also proved his versatility with the action drama Bhagavant Kesari in 2023. He did a fine job in merging Nandamuri Balakrishna’s stardom with strong beats of women empowerment.
Synopsis
With Sankranthiki Vasthunam, the director returns to familiar territory. A whacky comedy with elements of family drama, the storyline isn’t high on logic, and often borders on being farcical, but what holds the movie together majorly is Venkatesh’s brilliant act coupled with Anil Ravipudi’s narration.
Sankranthiki Vasthunam begins off with a kidnap scenario. A CEO of the world’s number one tech company Aakella (Srinivas Avasarala) is kidnapped on his visit to India. The government has a big responsibility to bring Aakella back.
Venkatesh plays suspended officer YD Raju, extremely well known for his notorious handling of criminals, shooting them at his will.
Due to the numerous complaints of a human rights organization YD Raju is suspended. Meenakshi Chaudhary plays VD Raju’s ex-girlfriend and a police officer herself. Meenakshi and YD Raju had a bitter break-up.
YD Raju makes a promise not to marry anyone else but it turns out that he is a happily married man with Bhagyalakshmi (Aishwarya Rajesh). They have four kids, among the kids, Bheemla Revanth Pavan Sai Subhash is the most important one.
Meenakshi comes to VD Raju’s place to seek help from him and also a certain hope of reconnecting but is thoroughly shocked to know that he has moved on. The rest of the story focuses on the tangle that VD Raju finds himself in and how Meenakshi and Co are able to free Aakella with his help. There is a small subplot as well connected to the importance of respecting teachers.
Strong aspects
A strong aspect of Sankranthiki Vasthunam is undoubtedly the characterization of Venkatesh, coupled with his wonderful act. The senior actor isn’t new to the genre of humour.
The actor’s comic timing in movies like Malliswari (2004), F2 and F3 along with Nuvvu Naaku Nachav (2001) has brought the house down raising many chuckles. Still, director Anil Ravipudi brings out a different side to his comedy.
As a man caught between his ex and his wife, while handling the important task at hand Venkatesh is simply brilliant. He brings the house down on many occasions with his expressions and lifts many of the movie’s comic moments with his wonderful sense of timing.
Performances
Venkatesh portrays a loving family man, an ex-lover and a smart cop in a wonderful manner. A particular mention must be of the pre-climax fight when his character lets out all the pent-up angst. There is a super mix of action and comedy thoroughly entertaining the viewers.
His chemistry with both Aishwarya Rajesh and Meenakshi Chaudhary is the icing on the cake. The scenes involving a trio are super fun to watch as well.
Aishwarya Rajesh as the jealous yet lovable wife does a great job too. There is a certain naivety to Bhagyalakshmi which Aishwarya pulls off wonderfully. Aishwarya’s portrayal of jealousy and insecurity whenever Meenakshi gets close to her husband is brilliant to watch.
Meenakshi Chaudhary as the cop and an ex-girlfriend also gives a good account of herself. After playing the roles of housewife in Lucky Baskhar and Matka, this marks a different terrain for her and the actress more than holds her own opposite Venkatesh and Aishwarya Rajesh.
Special mention must also be made of Bheemla Revanth Pavan. As a boisterous kid with OTT-inspired curses, the child actor does a very good job. The chemistry between Venkatesh and Bheemla Revanth adds to the fun element.
Upender Limaye plays an eccentric cop with a high pitch. His scenes often border on being loud still it goes with the movie’s nature.
Technical aspects
Bheems Ceciroleo’s music is another asset for the movie with Ramana Gogula’s “Godari Gattu” being a major highlight. Apart from that, the song “Meenu” showcasing YD Raju and Meenakshi’s romantic past is also a fun number.
Talking about the movie’s flaws there is a shabbily written subplot about respecting and remembering your teachers. The message behind this is noble as teachers are an important pillar of society and worthy of respect, however, the way it has been integrated is patchy.
Also, the second half has moments of repetitiveness in terms of humour. Some sequences with farcical humour test the viewer’s patience.
Final take
To sum it up Sankranthiki Vasthunam is a perfect watch for those looking for light-hearted entertainment. Fans of Anil Ravipudi and Venkatesh will have a blast.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
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