Sammathame hit the screens today. In this section, we are going to review the latest box office release.
Story:
Krishna is a motherless child who grows up dreaming about an awesome wife in an arranged marriage setting. He wants his wife to be his first love. And, likewise, he must be her first love. When he sees Saanvi in a match-fixing arrangement, he is instantly smitten by her. But there is a catch. Saanvi was in love with someone in her college days. The rest of the film is about what Krishna does after he realizes he loves Saanvi despite her past.
Analysis:
The film essentially tells the story of a conservative young man who has idealistic notions about his future wife. For one, he hates pub culture. But it doesn't mean he is the Ramu from 'Aparichitudu'. He can do Remo things as well, such as smoking cigarettes with the attitude of a semi-macho guy.
Chandini Chowdary plays Saanvi, a free-spirited young woman who can get bold while playing Truth & Dare. She finds Krishna subverting the definition of manliness by smiling with swag. Her platonic relationship with Krishna takes an interesting turn in the second half. The film is not plot-heavy like typical commercial entertainers. It is a feel-warm and feel-good love story where conversations between the lead pair drive the drama. The attitudes of Krishna and Saanvi sometime define the story.
On the one hand, Krishna represents small-town sensibilities. His traditional mindset finds resort outings and pool-side parties repulsive. On the other hand, Saanvi is urbane and unapologetically modern. Her white lies stun Krishna often. The binary drawn between the two characters feels novel. However, some of the situations are too conveniently written.
Director Gopinath Reddy injects bit songs and full-fledged ones to thicken the narration. Krishna and Saanvi are contrasting characters from two different worlds. The bonhomie and unlikely relationship between the duo should have been deeper.
Srimannarayana and Goparaju Ramana play fathers to Saanvi and Krishna, respectively. The influence of the father's words on Krishna's worldview has been portrayed in a comically exaggerated fashion. The banter between the male lead and his friend is typical.
Sekhar Chandra's music is decent. The montage songs work more than others. The climax is conventional and yet the coming-of-age narrative strikes the right chord. Sateesh Reddy Masam's cinematography is good, whereas Viplav Nyshadam's editing could have been better. The film has a run time of 130 minutes.
Kiran Abbavaram's 'SR Kalyanamandapam' act was aggressive in comparison to the underplayed performance in this film. The actor is maturing film after film. Chandini Chowdary gets to play a full-fledged role that has a say in the story till the last minute. She is able. The actress who has played Gowri is good. Saptagiri fails to draw laughs in a comedic role. Chammak Chandra and ETV Saddam Hussein have cameos.
Verdict:
'Sammathame' can be given a try for its relatable sensibilities. Interesting characterizations and situations take the cake.
