Samajavaragamana review: This father-son comedy caper makes you laugh your lungs out

Director Ram Abbaraju of Vivaha Bhojanam (2021) fame has come up with Samajavaragamana (Walking with a Giant of an Elephant) this time.

Starring Sree Vishnu and Reba Monica John in the lead roles, the story revolves around a relatable subject — marriage.

Even as the film is set to hit the screens on 29 June, here’s our review:

Synopsis

Balu (Sree Vishnu) works in a cosy multiplex while fighting the typical travails of running a middle-class family.

The property that his father Uma Mahesh (VK Naresh) inherits can only be transferred if the latter obtains a degree certificate. And it remains a mission unaccomplished for the last 25 years.

Given the distant implications, Balu develops thrifty, honest and aspirational qualities. He decides upon saying no to love proposals from girls. Being the sole breadwinner of his family, Balu couldn’t afford this luxury. He would turn every girl into his sister and make them tie rakhi.

Here’s when Reba Monica’s character Jaan steps into his life, takes him in her arms and plants a resounding kiss, thus awakening all his sensual points.

The latter half of the movie explores the impediment to the hero accepting Reba’s marriage proposal. Will his father pass Uma Mahesh his degree exam to inherit the property to the family’s name is the story that awaits you.

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A rib-tickling watch

Sometimes you wouldn’t know where to start while describing a film when it gives deep, loud and hearty laughter to almost every sequence – from the word go to the end frame.

Samajavaragamana is one rare film that leaves your stomach hurt, especially as you observe your giggle turning into a guffaw. However, the intensity of laughter differs from individual and you can’t help when you’re so immune to the jokes.

The father-son comedy track works big time. Your rib cage starts contracting whenever Sree Vishnu and VK Naresh appear on the screen.
Sree Vishnu’s characterisation as an annoyed middle-class employee and his endless attempts to get his father to sail through the degree exams is a rib-tickling episode.

You may feel that Sree Vishnu’s “Godavari” dialect probably gave him the edge in perfectly nailing the comedy timing. But you know the credit for the freshness in dialogues should go to writer Nandu Savirigana.

Director Ram Abbaraju should be duly credited for connecting the dots to get the perfect picture in the end.

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Performances

Sree Vishnu and VK Naresh take over the control of the entire first half dishing out unlimited laughter.

Samajavaragamana comes as a fresh breeze for Sree Vishnu who is grappling with a flop streak after Raja Raja Chora (2021).

For senior actor VK Naresh, the film is another rewarding experience as a supporting actor.

Nellore Sudarshan is another acting talent who has this knack for emoting audiences with his expressions and voice. He plays Box Office Badshah. His combination scenes with Sree Vishnu are another highlight of the movie.

Debutante Reba Monica bagged a hit with her debut. Her role as a fun, college-goer is impressive.

In the second half, Vennela Kishore’s character Kula Sekhar draws whistles from the crowd. This will remain one of the memorable on-screen performances in his career, though he delivered a long list of rib-tickling performances in the past.

Kula Sekhar is a caste fanatic who wants his clan to grow and outperform other humans on the planet. He would even ask a beggar his caste before he has to offer anything. Even in his life-death situations, Kula Sekhar would seek help only from his caste!

Srikanth Iyengar and Rajeev Kanakala impress us with their roles.

Raghu Babu as principal Saraswathi looks good. Imax Lakshman grabs some screen time in the film and does well.

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Technicalities

Apart from the humour, Samajavaragamana banks big on its story and the screenplay that makes you glued to the screen.

Cinematographer Raam Reddy does well in giving rich visuals and music from Gopi Sundar does enough to elevate the story.

The party number “Ee life eh choti choti re” and the song “Ithade Naa Humsafar” are placed at the right time in the plot. However, you may feel the singles are just fillers for this commercial family entertainer.

Nevertheless, the film’s minor setbacks won’t show up because of the humour quotient.

For example, Sree Vishnu’s sister doesn’t fit into the space when she speaks the Telangana dialect. The character seems an oddball in the entire family who mostly has the roots of Andhra nativity.

In a scene, Goparaju Ramana gets preachy at the Registrar’s office when a bride arrives too early from the scheduled time and waits for her fiancé. This appears as if it’s forcibly inserted into the story to make the female protagonist realise how important it is to select a responsible groom.

Such sequences look outlandish and superficial, non-synch with reality. But the intensity of laughter and suspense in the story until the last minute overshadows these not-so-glaring blunders.

But in the end, you may experience a sense of lightness in you because of two hours of continuous laughter.

Verdict

In all, Samajavaragamana is like a fresh breeze of entertainment for Tollywood which hasn’t witnessed any all-round entertainer in the recent past. Watch it and laugh your lungs out.

(Views expressed here are personal.)