From Urban Love Stories To Village Conflicts, Sukumar’s Protégés Follow His Lead

Buchi Babu Sana, Srikanth Odela, and Karthik Varma Dandu chose rustic tales for their debut films.

Director Sukumar is popular for his films which are usually set in urban scenarios. But he seems to have developed a fantasy for rustic tales now.

Right from his debut film, Allu Arjun’s Arya (2004) to Naga Chaitanya’s 100% Love (2011), Mahesh Babu’s 1: Nenokkadine (I Am the Only One, 2014), and NTR Jr’s Nannaku Prematho (To Father, With Love, 2016), the filmmaker delivered back-to-back hits that had an urban background.

Little did we know then that he would also successfully helm two rustic dramas — Rangasthalam (2018) and Pushpa (2021) — that would make the audience sit up and take notic

Rangasthalam and Pushpa have two mainstream heroes who are not particularly known for their rustiness; more so, Ram Charan. But the director’s gamble paid off in both cases.

Protégés follow in his path

Over the years, Sukumar has also nurtured some young filmmakers. Interestingly, three of them — Buchi Babu Sana (Uppena, 2021), Srikanth Odela (Dasara, 2023), and Karthik Varma Dandu (Virupaksha, 2023) — made their debut films in rustic scenarios with village issues.

Caste might not have been mentioned explicitly in their films, but it is obvious that the heroes in these movies are from lower castes. Only in Uppena (Tiday Surge), the protagonist’s caste is specifically mentioned. Viasshnav Tej plays a Dalit Christian belonging to the fishermen’s community.

In Virupaksha, Sai Dharam Tej plays an outsider who visits his ancestral village and tries to address the local issues.

But first, let us look into Sukumar’s Rangasthalam and Pushpa.

Rangasthalam

The story of Rangasthalam is set in a village of the same name. The theme is exploitation and feudalism.

A ruthless president runs the village like a tyrant. The concept of a landlord/village president treating villagers as slaves is of course not new.  There are many films with that theme.

One of Chiranjeevi’s (Ram Charan‘s father) earlier films, Ma Voori Pandavulu (1978), also dealt with the struggles against the feudal system.

However, Sukumar’s treatment made Rangasthalam much more engaging, particularly for the new generation audience.

Ramcharan as Chitti Babu

Ram Charan’s character (Chitti Babu) in Rangasthalam not only comes from a lower caste but is also partially deaf.

Sukumar dealt with this disability in a sensitive manner. He never used it to generate crude comedy.

Ram Charan Tej as Chitti Babu was adorable right from the first frame.

Rough and rustic is not something that the viewers associate with the actor. But under the guidance of Sukumar, the actor delivered his career-best performance.

The actor also got the nuances of Chitti Babu spot on, both in his body language and accent.

Pushpa

Following the success of Rangasthalam, Sukumar once again teamed with his Allu Arjun. But this time, in a very different zone.

Just like RangasthalamPushpa also featured a protagonist who is not only rustic but also an underdog.

In Pushpa, Sukumar majorly looked at the entire syndicate of the red Sandalwood business and the politics involved. It also briefly touched upon the dangers faced by the coolies from the police.

Allu Arjun as Pushpa

Chief among them is Pushpa’s characterisation and how Allu Arjun performed it.

Pushpa is one of the many coolies in the Seshachalam area, hired to chop down red sandalwood trees illegally. He is also an illegitimate son.

Despite being a coolie, there is an inherent swag in Pushpa which comes from his determination to climb up the social ladder to get over that stigma.

Beneath all the roughness, there is vulnerability whenever he is reminded of his birth status, which is brought up at various points in the film. Allu Arjun particularly shined in these moments.

He previously played a non-urban character in Gunasekhar’s Rudramdevi (2015), but that was a warrior role.

Pathbreaking films

These two films are significant in many ways.

After a long time, the viewer is taken back to the villages not to see the natural beauty or innocence of the people, the love or conflict among joint families, and the faction-based stories of Rayalaseema. But, the audience got to see some real conflict themes and exploitation in different forms.

The story of Rangasthalam might look a little outdated in comparison to Pushpa because the subject in the latter is an ongoing problem.

But as a hero, Ram Charan’s Chitti Babu is more relatable than Allu Arjun’s Pushpa because his macho image keeps growing every minute.

Now let’s look at some of the films made by Sukumar’s protégés who have also directed hinterland stories.

Uppena by Buchi Babu Sana 

A protégé of Sukumar, Buchi Babu Sana took the route of his master.

In Uppena, Vaisshnav Tej’s character (Aasi) belongs to the fishermen’s community. Here, the caste of Aasi is directly mentioned as Dalit Christian.

Buchi Babu needs to be credited for making a film like Uppena with a debutant; Vaisshnav Tej comes from the Mega (actor Chiranjeevi’s family) family though.

The first-time director did a wonderful job of exploring the bond that a fisherman shares with the sea.

Vaisshnav Tej’s Aasi also suffers from a stuttering problem. He cannot pronounce the heroine’s name properly however much he tries. Instead of Sangeetha, he calls her Santha.

However, this disability is also dealt with with a certain amount of sensitivity by Buchi Babu Sana, just like Ram Charan’s partial deafness in Rangasthalam.

Vaisshnav Tej also deserves appreciation for how he portrayed the rusticness and vulnerability of Aasi.

Dasara by Srikanth Odela 

Dasara is set against the backdrop of Singareni Coal Mines.

Nani’s Dharani is a ruffian who steals coal for a living. The influence of Sukumar is pretty visible in terms of how Srikanth Odela builds up the village’s atmospherics.

The caste politics are quite reminiscent of Rangasthalam. However, there is no denying that Srikanth has his voice, too. This can be seen in how the director built up the character of Nani.

Nani’s Dharani is timid when he doesn’t consume alcohol. But when on a high, he is altogether a different person. This trait was well used by Srikanth Odela, particularly in the later portions when Dharani decides to get over his alcoholism.

There is a local bar called Silk Bar which has a looming presence throughout the film. The director used this bar to highlight the caste dynamics, as the liquor here is reserved for upper-class men.

Virupaksha by Karthik Varma Dandu 

Much like Dasara and UppenaVirupaksha is also directed by a first-time filmmaker, Karthik Varma Dandu who assisted Sukumar.

Sukumar himself wrote the screenplay for this film.

Virupaksha is a paranormal thriller set in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The director, along with writer Sukumar, made some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Unlike the heroes in the above-mentioned films, Sai Dharam Tej’s Surya is an outsider to Rudravaram. However, the issues addressed in the film are much rooted.

Nevertheless, if we compare the above-mentioned movies to the Tamil ones, there is a significant difference in how the issue of caste is portrayed.

There it is not just about the protagonist being rustic in overall demeanour; in Tamil movies, filmmakers like Vetri Maraan and Pa Ranjith are not afraid to take the name of the caste. Asuran (2019) and Kaala (2018) are the best examples.

Having said that, for Telugu audiences, the likes of Rangasthalam and others are a definite step forward in the genre of caste-based films.

https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/urban-love-stories-to-village-class-conflicts-sukumars-proteges-follow-his-lead/

Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.

Dasara: A Rustic Revenge Drama Bolstered By The Lead Actors’ Performances And The Atmospherics

Nani & Keerthy’s show all the way!

Dasara (Telugu)

  • Cast: Nani, Keerthy Suresh, Anant Singh, Dheekshith Shetty, Samuthirakani, Shine Tom Chacko, Sai Kumar, Jhansi, Poorna, and Zarina Wahab
  • Director: Srikanth Odela
  • Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri
  • Music: Santhosh Narayanan
  • Runtime: 2 hours 36 minutes

P Sukumar’s Rangasthalam (stage) and Pushpa: The Rise changed the mainstream Telugu cinema grammar in significant ways. They presented their heroes in a vastly different light from what the audiences are generally used to seeing.

First-time director Srikanth Odela was an assistant to Sukumar before making his directorial debut with Dasara. The hangover of Sukumar is visible in terms of how he sets up his story.

Like the above-mentioned films, Dasara also has a rustic background. In Pushpa: The Rise, the backdrop is a remote forest where the smuggling of red sandalwood is rampant.

In Dasara, it is the Singareni coal mine area. At its core, Srikanth Odela’s Dasara is a typical revenge saga where the viewers can easily guess how it is going to end.

What redeems the film is the performances and also how the young director has mounted the story.

Synopsis

The story of Dasara is set in a village called Veerlapally. The period is the 1990s.

The movie begins with the story of three childhood friends Dharani (Nani), Soori (Deekshith Shetty) and Vennela (Keerthy Suresh).

Dharani is attracted to Vennela but he sacrifices his love after learning about Soori and Vennela’s love. He also helps them in their endeavour to get married.

When everything is going hunky dory things change drastically and their lives turn upside down – all because of the politics between the two village heads.

Amidst these developments, Dharani faces a shock of his life that forces him to fight back. This is the story in brief.

Excellent cinematography & production design

The film starts in a gripping manner. The life of the three friends and the bond between them keeps you hooked.

The villagers’ addiction to alcohol in the coal mine area and the problems that come with it keep the audiences engaged.

Srikanth Odela is also successful in portraying the cultural and social specificities of that area. The case in point is the “Bathukamma” (a flower festival celebrated by the women of Telangana) performance during the Dasara festival.

A special mention must be made of cinematography and production design. Sathyan Sooryan does a splendid job of capturing the rawness of the area through his lens. Singareni Coal Mine area has an authentic feel to it.

Falters after interval bang

Much like Rangasthalam, here too, caste politics play an important role. Though the angle of caste politics isn’t as strong as in Rangasthalam, Srikanth Odela still does a fairly fine job.

The pre-interval chase sequence and the intermission bang have been expertly handled. But things stagnate quickly after the true intentions of the villain are revealed. As a consequence, things become dull.

The running time of two hours-plus feels quite heavy, particularly the elongated climax when Dharani goes on an absolute killing spree.

Santhosh Narayanan’s music goes well with the Telangana flavour. The “Bathukamma” song and “Chittu Chittula Gumma”, in particular, have been well-tuned.

Nani & Keerthy Suresh shine

As Dharani, Nani knocks it out of the park. There is no trace of the boy next door that we generally associate with the actor.

The actor just disappears into the rustic avatar starting from his body language. He portrays the many emotions with ease.

Dharani’s character has an interesting design to it. When he doesn’t consume alcohol, he comes across as timid. But when he drinks, he is completely another person.

This character trait of the protagonist has been effectively used by the director, particularly in the later portions when Dharani decides to get over his alcoholism.

Keerthy Suresh stands out as Vennela. The actress shines bright in both the light and the emotional bits. She shares good chemistry with both Deekshith Shetty at the beginning and Nani later on.

Dheekshith Shetty as the friend gives an effective performance. Although he is there only till the interval, the actor more than makes his presence felt.

The likes of Sai Kumar and Samuthirakani needed to be better used.

The same applies to Malayalam actor Shine Tom Chako as well. He has a good presence but the character needed to be more unhinged to make an impact

Except for Keerthy Suresh, neither Poorna nor Jhansi has anything worthwhile to do. They mostly don’t have a say.

Verdict

Watch Dasara for Singareni and Nani.

18 Pages: Familiar Terrain, But Worth A Visual Read

Sarayu Roy shines bright as Nikhil’s friend.

18 Pages (Telugu)

  • Cast: Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, Sarayu Roy, Ajay, Dinesh Tej, Brahmaji, Posani Krishna Murali, and Raj Tirandasu
  • Director: Palnati Surya Pratap
  • Producers: Bunny Vas, Sukumar Writings and GA2 Pictures
  • Music: Gopi Sundar
  • Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

Stories of lead pair falling for each other without even meeting isn’t new. Ajith-starrer Prema Lekha is an example.

Therefore, as a writer, one needs to bring something new to the table within these familiarities.

Sukumar is someone who is known for a distinctive style of storytelling, both what he produced and what he directed. In 18 Pages too, as a writer, Sukumar integrates certain important social topics like how social media is affecting human bonding.

It is not an easy task for both the writer and director to present a love story where the hero and heroine don’t have a combination scene for the most part.

In spite of that, 18 Pages keeps you invested even when the film goes off the rail in the second half.

The story

The film begins with the introduction of an app developer, Siddhu (Nikhil Siddartha). Siddhu is in a solid relationship and he wants to take it to the next level. He decides to surprise his girlfriend but he gets a shock in return.

The incident pushes him into depression. Siddhu starts getting into the habit of drinking and losing his temper. In this situation, he comes across a diary written by Nandini (Anupama Parameswaran) who is vastly different from Siddhu, in terms of using technology.

In fact, Nandini doesn’t even have a phone. She is someone who believes in living the moment by expressing her happiness in the form of a diary.

Siddhu learns many interesting things about Nandini and not surprisingly, falls for her. His personality also undergoes a sea change.

From a technology addict, he starts giving more importance to human interactions. The diary ends on the 18th page, leaving Siddhu eager to meet Nandini.

He is egged on by his friend played by Saruyu. However, he faces the biggest shock of his life after going to Nandini’s village. Her grandmother tells Siddhu that she died in a car accident a couple of years ago.

The rest of the story is about what exactly happened to Nandini and whether she is really dead. If not dead, is Siddhu able to meet her is one question that keeps us invested in the film till the end.

Siddhu’s search for Nandini is also reminiscent of the Sharwanand and Allari Naresh-starrer Gamyam.

The assets

18 Pages wastes no time in setting up the personality of its leading man. Director Palnati Surya Pratap makes you feel Siddhu’s heartbreak. And as an audience, you want him to find his love.

The film becomes even more interesting with the arrival of the diary. The romantic chemistry between the lead pair is pretty much visible, even though it is only at the end of the movie that they meet.

After Karthikeya 2, Nikhil is once again in good form. He portrays the transition of Siddhu convincingly.

The scenes between Nikhil and Saruyu are another major asset of 18 Pages. Their camaraderie and the bond of friendship come across strongly.

Indeed, Sarayu shines the brightest in the supporting cast without any questions. Her scenes with Nikhil can be watched on repeat mode.

The simplicity of Nandini is a little overdone but Anupama Parameswaran manages to make it work with her acting. It is to Anupama’s credit that the audiences are still invested in what happened to her.

Music by Gopi Sundar is another big driving point. Most of the songs have a melodious feel which takes the story forward.

The first half has the perfect mixture of light and dramatic portions. The interval bang raises the expectations for an equally engaging second half.

However, it is in the second half that the flick starts slipping. The suspense involving Anupama’s character needed to be better etched.

The drawbacks

The flashback portions are fine but need to be stronger. The villains headed by Bramhaji and Ajay aren’t menacing enough. They come as regular villains with zero personality.

The proceedings slow down considerably in the last thirty minutes. As an audience, you want the ending to come quickly.

In spite of the loose second half, 18 Pages is still worth a watch, particularly for the actors’ performances.

Verdict

To sum it up, 18 Pages isn’t a seamless combination of romance and thrills. But then, it makes for a good watch.

The Biggest Sin Of Pushpa The Rise

Director Sukumar’s last venture Rangasthalam was a vastly appreciated film both commercially and critically. It was a film which presented both its leading man and also the director in a new light. With Pushpa the director once again presents a story in a raw and rustic tone. This time he sets it in the Chittor belt, complete with the smattering of Tamil Lingo. However the result though is far from satisfactory. He takes the subject of Red Sandalwood coolies but ultimately turns it into a typical gangster drama, but the thing is he doesn’t do justice to either genres.

The film begins off with animated video that talks about the importance of Red Sandalwood. From here we move to the main character of Pushpa (Allu Arjun). We see Pushpa through the eyes of a daily wager Kesava (Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari) Kesava ends up being a loyal apprentice to Pushpa. The first part of Pushpa is essentially about the rise of the protagonist from a daily wager to controlling the smuggling syndicate. The story takes place in an era when pagers were in vogue and mobile phones a luxury. In between you have a barrage of villains starting from Ajay Ghosh and Sunil. Towards the end we are introduced to Fahadh Fassil’s character.

ONE OF THE FEW GOOD THINGS ABOUT PUSHPA IS ALLU ARJUN’S PERFORMANCE.

One of the few good things about Pushpa is Allu Arjun’s performance. The actor is seen in an avatar which is a far cry from what we generally associate with him. Allu Arjun not only brings in the required shrewdness needed for the character but he also brings a certain heft to the emotional scenes. The constant emotional trope in Pushpa is him being questioned about his family name. It is an overused troupe but the emotional scenes still work because of the actor’s performance. Another performance worth mentioning here is Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari. His scenes with Allu Arjun give the film some good moments. They bring a smile to your face.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY BY KUBA BROZEK IS SUCCESSFUL IN ABLE TO TRANSPORT YOU TO THOSE ATMOSPHERICS.

Lastly the cinematography by Kuba Brozek is successful in able to transport you to those atmospherics. The visuals are in sync with the rustic nature of the story. The music by Devi Sri Prasad is fine but Rangasthalam had better songs.

The biggest issue with Pushpa is the formulaic approach that director Sukumar takes. With the topic of Red Sandalwood coolies the director could have ventured into a new direction but he sticks to the often seen template. It soon becomes clear that the director isn’t really interested in the nitty gritties of the coolie’s lives. They are just mere bystanders to propel Allu Arjun’s character.

RASHMIKA IN HER DEGLAMORISED AVATAR HASN’T GOT MUCH TO DO. SHE IS DECENT BUT NOTHING MEMORABLE.

The opponents aren’t great either. Sunil is comparatively more menacing than the others but that is not saying much. Adding to the disappointment is Fahadh Faasil. Yes we will see more of him in the second part but whatever little is there of him here certainly isn’t promising.

Rashmika in her deglamorised avatar hasn’t got much to do. She is decent but nothing memorable. The women characters here are completely forgettable in contrast to the ones that you had in Rangasthalam.

HERE’S HOPING THAT THE SECOND PART TURNS OUT MUCH BETTER.

The biggest sin of Pushpa though is that it makes you apprehensive for the second part. There is no solid hook line which makes you eager. At the end of Rajamouli’s Bahubali one there was suspense over why a loyal servant like Kattapa killed Bahubali but no such luck here.

Here’s hoping that the second part turns out much better.