Acclaimed director Singeetham Srinivas Rao once again employees his trademark whimsical style while exploring the themes of human greed, capitalism and environmental destruction. Kudos to the director for coming up with a story like this at the age of 94 and showing why he is one of his kind. Nag Ashwin and Vijayanthi movies also deserve appreciation for bringing alive his vision. Devi Sri Prasad delivers one of his best soundtracks whether it’s the initial bewilderment or the anguish in the pre climax. A committed ensemble especially Ahilya and Shalini Kondepudi stand out among the performers

Starcast: Ayaan, Ahilya Bamraoo, Shalini Kondepudi, Tulasi, Banerjee, Nivetha Pethuraj, Rahul Ravindran and others

Genre: Fantasy/supernatural

Director and writer: Singeetham Srinivas Rao

Additional writers: Nanda Kishore Emani, Gautami Challagulla etc

Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Cinematographer: Ankur C

Producer: Nag Ashwin

Production houses: Vyjayanti Movies and Swapna Cinema

Running time: 2 hours and 17 minutes

Before dissecting Sing Geetham its necessary to appreciate the spirit of Singeetham Srinivas Rao. The story of Sing Geetham is an old one, it has been with Singeetham Srinivas Rao for a long time. Through the story has been written long time back the plot is still so contemporary. The themes of environmental destruction and Mining don’t need a special introduction. We see it all around us but to explore these topics in the age of big scale Pan India takes courage both for the director and the producers. So firstly, a big round of applause for the entire team. Coming to the film Sing Geetham in set in the village of Kuberapuram. A young man Prathap (Ayaan) returns to his native village for claiming inheritance. He wants to make some quick buck by signing a deal with a businesswomen Renu (Shalini Kondepudi). Ahilya Bamaroo plays Gauri a feisty young woman deeply attached to the village’s last surviving tree. Things take a major turn with the tree being razed to the ground and the village getting cursed. A big reason for the curse is Gauri’s rant on that particular night. The backstory of Prathap involving Nivetha Pethuraj and Rahul Ravindran and how the curse of communicating only through songs is broken forms an important core of Sing Geetham.

A strong aspect of Sing Geetham is the world building. Singeetham Srinivas Rao along with the writers get to the heart of the story without wasting much time. Whether its Pratap’s release from jail, his entry into Kuberapuram and the mining business of Renu and her father, the latter played by a suitably evil Banerjee. Gauri’s attachment with the tree and her ideological differences with the father also set a solid base.

The portion of village’s last tree razed to the ground and Gauri’s desperate plea is emotionally poignant. Yes, the scene does across as melodramatic but there is an important reason behind Gauri’s attachment. This comes in the latter half with solid acting from both Nivetha Peturaj and Rahul Ravindran as Prathap’s parents.

For some viewers the environmental destruction explored will remind them of tress being cut down in real life. The most recent one is KBR. The mining portions are again reminiscent of numerous stories we have read in newspapers or come across online. To make a film like this with a strong political voice and then to be backed up by names like Nag Ashwin and Vyjayanthi alone makes for a big reason to watch.

Having said that the subject takes a while to warm up. The format of communicating every feeling through songs will appear outlandish for the mass belt, also the title Sing Geetham doesn’t appear in sync with the story’s nature. Still there is a lot to savor for those who like experimental cinema especially Singeetham Srinivas Rao fans.

Devi Sri Prasad’s music and background score is the soul of Sing Geetham apart from direction and writing. The songs are of a completely different flavor something we don’t usually associate with DSP. It is a huge challenge to compose tunes for a film like this but Devi Sri Prasad more than rises up to the challenge. Among the songs the one which stands out is the emotional plea to the god Kubera when a lot of people turn into gold statues. The tune, lyrics and the actor’s performances combined stirrers the viewers. On the other hand, a song situation with everyone speaking their mind without any filter makes for a fun watch. Sing Geetham is easily Devi Sri Prasad’s best work to date.

The allegorical touch especially the story of King Midas and its integration in the pre climax has also been well done. The pre climax also gives an important message on humanity and the need for harmony. There is a powerful portion of villagers setting aside their greed and protecting a newborn baby. Some of them become gold statues and this is preceded by an emotional plea to God.

The movie ends with the people of Kuberapuram living together in harmony with nature. Vijay Devarakonda briefly appears as a potential threat to Kuberapuram ; the part itself doesn’t have much significance nevertheless it makes for a fun special appearance especially with Vijay struggling to hold himself together because of the involuntary dancing curse.

The cast of Sing Geetham is an interesting mix of newcomers and established actors, and this works for the movie. Among the younger lot Ahilya and Shalini stand out. Ahilya portrays the feistiness of Gauri in a solid manner. Shalini Kondepudi as a calculative businesswoman with her own insecurities also makes a striking impact. Her character Renu is someone who is driven by the need to prove herself and this adds an interest psychological layer to the character. On a side note, it’s good to see the emergence of new actresses coming through Youtube like Shalani and Shivani Nagaram.