Uppu Kappurambu Review: Keerthy Suresh starrer is entertaining political satire but loses its charm arbitrarily

Keerthy Suresh starrer Uppu Kappurambu is finally here and available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The film, which features Suhas as the co-lead, is a social comedy, helmed by Ani IV Sasi, the son of late Malayalam director IV Sasi. 

Is the satirical political comedy worth your time? Here’s the Pinkvilla review to help you understand it.

The Plot

Chitti Jayapuram, the fictional village, is populated with unique characters and their own distinct superstitions and practices. Apoorva (Keerthy Suresh) inherits the title of Village Head, following the untimely death of her father.

However, she suffers from social anxiety and has no interest in public positions. As luck would have it, as soon as she takes charge, she is met with a rather uncommon dilemma – the village cemetery is running out of burial spots.

As she attempts to solve the issue, with the help of the village gravedigger, Chinna (Suhas), while simultaneously tackling the issues raised by two influential, power-hungry individuals, Bheemayya and Madhubabu, forms the crux of the story.

The Good

Undoubtedly, the hero in Uppu Kappurambu is the film’s writer, Vasanth Maringanti. Through his world-building, the writer narrates the story of Chitti Jayapuram with so much authenticity that the audience does not question the characters’ eccentricities.

Furthermore, the writer also does a fantastic job with characterization, giving each character their unique quirks, which lend them a distinct identity in a densely populated village.

The film also comments on several socio-political issues, including misogyny, feminism, communal divide, caste and dynasty politics, patriarchy, and much more. However, it is woven in subtly and does not feel forced into the story.

Ani IV Sasi’s direction also does its part in bringing the village to life as well. The village, its characters, and situations are all in sync, which is detrimental when working on a political satire.

Following the writing and direction, it is necessary to mention the film’s editing by Sreejith Sarang. The editor has done a fantastic job, bringing the film together in a cohesive manner.

Production and Art Designers Sri Nagendra Tangala, Prasad Penumarty, and Laxmi Tamang also deserve special mention. Their efforts in bringing the fictitious village to life were evident on screen and cannot be overstated.

The film’s cinematography does precisely what it is supposed to do, nothing more, nothing less. Divakar Mani has done a flawless job, cranking the camera for the film. The same can be said about the film’s background score, composed by Sweekar Agasthi.

While the music fits in most places, during several portions, it feels out of place, as if it's commanding the audience to feel a certain emotion.

The Bad

The biggest issue with Ani IV Sasi’s Uppu Kappurambu is the film’s sound design. The sound design tries too much, and is quite reminiscent of comedies from the ‘90s and early 2000s. It was too loud, not in terms of audio, but in terms of quality.

Furthermore, while the film’s writing was the most significant positive aspect, it would be unfair not to mention that towards the climax, the film tends to follow the archetypal endings of similar socio-political films.

It is something we have seen before in films like Yogi Babu’s Mandela or even the Rajkumar Rao-starrer Newton. There is also a temporary shift in genre from comedy to drama, during which time the film becomes preachy.

It is worth noting that these flaws are minuscule in the 2-hour and 16-minute runtime of Uppu Kappurambu.

The Performances

Coming to the performances in Uppu Kappurambu, the primary name that should be mentioned is Suhas, who portrayed the male lead, Chinna. Chinna is a jovial gravedigger who casually converses with the deceased to alleviate his constant monotony.

Additionally, he realizes that his mother does not have much time left to live and struggles to fulfill her last wish. There is so much depth to Chinna’s character, so many unfulfilled wishes, wishes that he realizes may never come true.

Suhas has portrayed the character brilliantly, bringing the audience to tears in one moment and tickling their funny bones the next.

As for Keerthy Suresh, the actress has done justice to the role assigned to her. While it is understood that satires often require a level of eccentricity, her performance at the beginning of the film is too eccentric, to the point that it cringes the audience.

However, once the actress eases into the character, around the 30-minute mark, she becomes a delight to watch, with her quirky antics adding depth to the character of Apoorva as well.

Babu Mohan and Shatru as Bheemayya and Madhubabu deserve a special mention as well. The duo, who can be considered the “primary antagonists” in the film, are self-centered, power-hungry rich people who are unable to accept that the village head is a woman and hope to take over the post themselves.

Both actors do a good job in their portrayal of rival feudal lords. The other actors in Uppu Karppurambu have also done a terrific job portraying their respective characters.

Watch the trailer here

The Verdict

Uppu Karppurambu is undoubtedly one of the finest political satires to come out in recent times. Despite its flaws, the film stands out for its excellent characters and the subtlety with which it addresses social issues.

The film deserves to reach a wider audience, not just for its technical aspects, but for the message it conveys and how it conveys it. Uppu Kappurambu is not only guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, but also to prompt you to think about the numerous socio-political situations we encounter in our daily lives.

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