Samanyudu Review

'Saamanyudu' is the latest box office release in Telugu. In this section, we are going to review the Vishal-starrer.

Story:

Porus, the male protagonist, is an aspiring cop whose sister Dwaraka is victimized in a brutal turn of events by a local thug. In the same city, a college-goer has become a victim of revenge porn, and a good-natured, courageous social activist has been targeted by an evil-minded factory owner. These three threads come together in the pre-interval block. What Porus, who is the son of an ordinary head constable, does to challenge the powerful in the system after his sister's murder, is the crux of the story.

Analysis:

Director Thu Pa Saravanan knows that he is equipped with a mere revenge story. So, he tries to make the film look like a crime thriller at least for a brief while. Unlike in a crime thriller, we get to know the identity of the perpetrator and the motive of crimes in real time here. The crux lies in how the hero discovers it. And this is where 'Saamanyudu' doesn't make the cut. The screenplay is bereft of innovative ideas and nail-biting moments.

The scene where Porus (Vishal is fairly intense throughout) explains to his sister (played by Raveena Ravi) the difference between cold-blooded murder and a crime of passion shows that the writing department has taken the male protagonist seriously. The writers want the audience to believe that he is a thoughtful guy who is doing his homework even before he becomes a cop.

But the screenplay becomes mediocre later (the pre-interval stretch is an honourable exception) and doesn't have any gripping idea to offer. Even the way Porus stumbles upon clues is all contrived.

"If you are so friendly with your male colleague, be prepared to be sexually harassed by him," is the unthinkable line that Mythili (Dimple Hayathi) mouths in a shockingly insensitive scene. The rom-com track deploys her talent for no good effect. The glamour quotient is something this film didn't need, neither did it require a love story told in a shabby manner. In contrast, the action scenes work to an extent.

How the common man is impotent in the face of influential people is a theme the film tries to exploit well. But there is nothing heart-touching in the way the scenes play out. The tropes involving a politician are par for the course. Lines like 'cops shouldn't have anger issues' and all are so routine that they have started to bore the audience.

This film is no sucker for technical finesse. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music doesn't come with any unmissable moments. Kavin Raj's cinematography is so-so.

Verdict:

'Saamanyudu' is a formulaic film where only a couple of elements/scenes feel fresh. The rest of the story cries for novelty.