Movie: Sundaram Master
Rating: 2/5
Banner: GoalDen Media, RT Team Works
Cast: Harsha Chemudu, Divya Sripada, Harshavardhan, Bhadram and others
Music: Sri Charan Pakala
DOP: Deepak Yaragera
Editor: Karthik Vunnava
Art Director: Chandra Mouli Eathalapaka
Producers: Ravi Teja, Sudheer Kumar Kurra
Written and Directed by: Kalyan Santhosh
Release Date: Feb 23, 2024
Harsha Chemudu, also known as Viva Harsha, is a busy comedian in the Telugu film industry. His attempt as the film's lead hero has gotten him some attention. Moreover one of the producers of this film is Ravi Teja, which pulled more attention.
Let's see how far this film has the engagement-quotient.
Story:
The story takes place in a tribal village near Paderu, Uttarandhra. Sundaram, a government teacher, has been assigned by the local MLA to teach English in a remote village and uncover any valuable things hidden there.
The MLA assures him that he will be appointed as the District Educational Officer upon successful completion of the assigned task within six months.
The remote village, disconnected from the outside world for many decades, is inhabited by tribes who are fluent in English but lack the ability to write. They acquired knowledge of English during the British colonial rule. They desire to learn writing from Master Sundaram.
Will Sundaram ultimately discover the valuable item in any concealed in this village? Will he be able to teach the villagers how to write in English, or will his life change in the process?
Artistes’ Performances:
Viva Harsha has portrayed a character that aligns well with his body language. He does not engage in typical heroic actions commonly seen in mainstream Telugu films, which is commendable.
Divya Sripada's character in the movie has romantic feelings for the hero, but she does not engage in regular romantic scenes or songs with Harsha Chemudu.
The remaining cast comprises unfamiliar or new actors, but they have performed their roles neatly.
Technical Excellence:
The movie possesses adequate technical qualities. It appears to have been filmed on location in a forest. The cinematographer's skilful depiction of the verdant landscape and hills has given the film a genuine atmosphere.
The production design is adequate. The background score is satisfactory. The songs carry no significant effect.
Highlights:
Comedy scenes about English spelling
Drawback:
Flat narration
No thrilling element
Riddled with logical inconsistencies
Analysis
The story of "Sundaram Master" sounds interesting at the beginning but turns illogical in the end. It is believable that a government teacher could be assigned to a remote village to instruct the residents in English. We have watched Hindi movies such as "Newton" featuring a civil servant assigned to a politically volatile region in central India for election duty. The setting of "Newton" in the Chhattisgarh tribal area is entirely plausible and has a modern touch.
But, "Sundaram Master" has logical flaws. A government teacher assigned to educate villagers is credible, but the villagers are completely disconnected from current realities. These villagers are unaware of India's independence. They believe Mahatma Gandhi is still leading the fight against the British, and one of the villagers dreams of meeting him.
The village is unaware that India gained independence in 1947 and has been governed by elected officials since then. The village is an integral part of Andhra Pradesh. Many tribal villages remain undeveloped, but it is unbelievable that an entire village is unaware of Indian independence or local government.
The villagers are able to speak English but have difficulty with spelling. Although there were some amusing incidents caused by the villagers misspelling certain words, the film quickly becomes monotonous after the initial humorous situations. The tribals spell “luck” as “f*k” and “Danger” as “Deng**”. This proves that the director has written scenes and story for his convenience.
Everything in the narration is contrived right from a social studies teacher getting deputed to teach English. The reason created around the dark-skin is more unconvincing than ever.
The latter part focuses on the protagonist acquiring wisdom from the tribal community. However, it is abundant in repetitive sequences. The hero projecting a Cricket match between India and England to the villagers using his mobile phone and a cloth screen is an absurd attempt to evoke "patriotism."
While the film is fairly engaging in the initial 40 minutes, it doesn’t work after that. The track involving Harsha Chemudu and Divya appears to be an effort to incorporate a customary romantic subplot.
Overall, "Sundaram Master" is a film with a concept that suffers from inadequate storytelling and logical inconsistencies. Only a few comedy sequences click.
Bottom line: No Magic-No Logic