Sabhaapathy - Cries for empathy but fails to get the trophy! 

Meera Chithirappavai

Directed by Srinivasa Rao, the film opens and ends with a gripping narration. One wishes that the whole runtime had the same hold on the audience’s attention. Despite the obvious effort to make it entertaining, many of the characters and scenarios fall flat.The more the film tries, the more disconnected one feels.

Santhanam, playing the title character, tries to showcase the misery of a youngster who suffers from stammering. The intent with which his character has been designed directs the whole film towards a particular path. The sudden change in body language and performance makes you wonder if stammering is the only issue or if he is autistic too. Lack of sensitivity lets down the core intent of the film.

Preethi Verma as Savi, a.k.a. Savithri, almost has nothing to offer and sadly gets sidelined, leaving no impact. If the protagonist's character arc itself is inconsistent, it is pointless to expect a better character sketch for supporting roles. However, the thought behind the casting idea for a few of these roles is interesting.

The film has been backed by a technical team that has delivered a functional job. The edit transitions and the template plugin sound effects used in some places might remind you of your Windows Movie Maker days. One wishes there was more finesse with which the product was packaged. The songs composed by Sam CS fit well with the story, but the background score might remind you of a 90s television series.

The undeniable disconnect with which the entire film plays makes Sabhaapathy a mediocre film that needed help from Step 1.

Rating - 2.25/5