“Baruvu thagginchu (reduce your weight),” an elderly man advises Sundaram (Harsha Chemudu), as he steps into Miriyalametta, a secluded village untouched by outsiders for nearly a century. The casting of Harsha Chemudu as the titular Sundaram master is an impeccable choice by director Kalyan Krishna for this understated Telugu film, Sundaram Master, brought to life by actor-producer Ravi Teja. Actors like Harsha often encounter body shaming, but this film subverts the typical narrative by celebrating the character’s traits to tell a warming, almost mythical tale.
Yet, Sundaram Master is not without its challenges. Certain parts of the film require the audience to be patient, but as the story unfolds, we’re invited to share in its triumphant, thought-provoking conclusion. We’re nudged to leave with a smile and to contemplate the way we live our lives.
Embarking on a feature like Sundaram Master requires a firm departure from commercial cinema norms. The plot initially reads like a fireside fable, rich in imagination and moral takeaways. Director Kalyan Santhosh adorns this quaint narrative with humor and minimal fluff. A song, embedded with a subtle enchantment thanks to Sricharan Pakala’s score, emerges late in the film, syncing with the unfolding sentiment in the village.
Miriyalametta is an anomaly of a village. Its inhabitants, untouched by modernity, follow a lifestyle in harmony with nature. They consume only what the forest provides, conduct their work by the sunlight, and retreat into their bamboo homes as dusk falls. A voiceover reveals that after outside forces coveted and attempted to exploit their natural wealth, the villagers deliberately isolated themselves.
Sundaram, a social studies teacher from the government, sent to Miriyalametta as the new English teacher, finds himself in the midst of these simple yet profound villagers. A calculating MLA (Harshavardhan), seeing a chance for gain, dispatches Sundaram with ulterior motives. Sundaram’s own ambitions are not above reproach — his rather raw conversation about dowry early in the film paints a picture of a man to whom money is paramount. His encounters with the villagers and their unassuming ways form the crux of the narrative.
In its first act, the film conjures laughter through various gags. An intentional misspelling in the introductory disclaimer hints at the lighthearted tone. Despite having learned English during the colonial era, the villagers’ spelling is amusingly erratic, prompting a good deal of on-screen hilarity.
However, these comedic elements merely veil the deeper message of the film. As the initial laughs taper off, the story takes on serious themes, adopting a documentary-drama tone to broach topics of environmentalism, the perceived value of money and gold, and life and death. At times, it borders on the didactic.
It’s only as the film reaches its latter sections that the pieces begin to coalesce. Sundaram, like the audience, observes an emotional display from the villagers. Through this experience, Sundaram’s transformation is completed, understanding the true meaning of “shedding weight” and the villagers’ preference for darker skin tones.
For Harsha Chemudu, transitioning from playing comedic roles to taking the lead is a successful endeavor. His performance carries the film, particularly during unstable moments. Although the character of Divya Sripada could have used more development, the actor imbues the role with unexpected depth. Chaitanya, portraying Oja, stands out among the village ensemble, with Balakrishna Neelakantapuram as the village head.
Director Kalyan Santhosh also pays homage to his icons, interspersing tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the comedian Brahmanandam, and cricketer Yuvraj Singh throughout the story.
In conclusion, Sundaram Master may not be without flaws, but it remains a sincere and heartfelt indie film that urges us to live with greater awareness and compassion. Through its cinematic language, Sundaram Master gently compels us to consider the weight we carry through life, both physically and metaphorically, advocating for a return to the essentials of being.
Telangana
The Hindu Cinema Plus
Telugu cinema
