'Sabari' is produced by Mahendra Nath Kondla under Maha Movies. The film hits the screens this Friday (May 3). Presented by Maharshi Kondla, here is our review of the multi-lingual release:
Plot:
Sanjana (played by Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) is a single mom who stands for what she believes in. She is raising her daughter, Riya (portrayed by Baby Krithika), with her limited resources. All hell breaks loose when she moves to a desolate house along with her daughter. The move to the new place, which looks eerily suspectful, is mysterious. And, adding to the intrigue, a lunatic on the run named Surya (Mime Gopi) is out to destroy her life. How are the lives of Sanjana, Riya and the pathological villain interconnected?
Performances:
Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is evolving as a nuanced performer lately. She is resisting to be typecast; she is also striking gold by bagging both big-ticket movies and genre-specific movies. Baby Krithika, who plays her onscreen daughter, evokes sympathy.
Ganesh Venkatraman's character Anand has an important place in the story. Since the screenplay is suspenseful, nothing much must be talked about him and the character essayed by Mime Gopi. The character played by Shashank should have been designed to generate curiosity even if it meant resorting to red herrings.
Technical Departments:
Music and background score: Gopi Sundar enjoys his work. After a film like 'Family Star', this is a contrasting work from him.
Cinematography: The Rahul Shrivatsav-Nani Chamidisetty duo do a good job.
Editing: Dharmendra Kakarala shows promise.
Production Values: Decent.
Analysis:
The film's trailer asked an interesting question: "How is it possible for an individual who has been declared dead to revive back to life?" This element is used to whip up the audience's curiosity levels. The screenplay smartly puts unforced distractions here and there before getting to the point.
Right after Sanjana is introduced, her nightmarish experiences are what the viewer gets to know. An identical twin threatens to stab her to death. The psychological foundation of her fear psychosis has been played up well in the course of the film. Her daughter is not seen in the bus she is travelling, keeping her on the edge. This intro scene builds the world of 'Sabari' with ease.
A bout of shocking killings later, the film takes a two-year leap. A character who seeks social validation turns out to be sadistic in its pursuit. All this has been narrated with gentleness. The behavior of those who experience sudden emotional upheavals has been shown without much fuss. The dialogues hit home about an extra marital relationship. What happens when hallucinations meet an unhinged character? What happens when deaths and perplexing pasts intertwine? These elements could have been explored in a better manner.
The film could have done away with some lame ideas. Sanjana becomes a Zumba trainer in three minutes flat! The police are caught napping when a beastly character has a free run! These logical loopholes mute the impact to an extent.
Vox Verdict:
'Sabari' is about an endangered mother-daughter duo who cross paths with a demented villain.
Rating: 2.5/5
