suresh kavirayani
sureshkavirayani@gmail.com
Actress Samantha is back in Tollywood after a year-and-a-half break, but this time as a producer. She has turned producer and her first production is Subham, directed by Praveen Kandregula of Cinemabandi fame. Samantha introduced a lot of new talent with this film and promoted it aggressively. Thanks to her involvement, the film garnered considerable expectations. She also played an extended cameo. Prior to its release, the film was promoted as a horror comedy. Here is the story and how it unfolds.
Story
The story is set in the small town of Bheemili near Visakhapatnam. Three young friends (R Harshith, Srinivas Gavireddy, Charan Peri) want to dominate their wives (Shriya Kontham, Shravani Lakshmi, Shalini Kondepudi), but are shocked when they discover that their wives are addicted to a TV serial. The shock arises when, during the 9 p.m. airing of this particular serial, if the husbands try to disturb them, the wives act like they are possessed by some evil spirit—à la Chandramukhi. Terrified by their wives’ behavior, the husbands are left clueless. It’s not just these three friends’ wives—women across the entire town behave in the same way, and chaos ensues. Husbands begin roaming the streets while their wives are glued to the serial. Eventually, the trio consults a tantric named Maya (Samantha), who gives them some advice. What is the secret behind this TV show obsession? How the three friends handle the situation and attempt to bring their wives back to normalcy forms the crux of the story.
Analysis
Director Praveen Kandregula and writer Vasanth Mariganti, who previously worked together on the OTT hit Cinema Bandi, reunite for Subham. This time, Vasanth delivers a horror-comedy centered around women’s obsession with a TV serial. Like their earlier film, Subham offers clean entertainment. It’s evident that Vasanth wrote the story to focus solely on comedy and Praveen translated it to the big screen in an engaging manner.
From the late ‘90s until now, many men and women have been addicted to TV serials, especially those running for hundreds of episodes. Middle-class women, in particular, often discuss serial plotlines during gatherings. Vasanth has used this context in a humorous way, and the director presents it successfully to evoke laughter on screen. If you leave logic behind and watch with an open mind, the film promises plenty of enjoyment.
At the same time, the film subtly addresses how some husbands try to dominate and occasionally mistreat their wives. It sends a message that women want independence and deserve respect. The story is realistically set in Bheemunipatnam (Bheemili), near Visakhapatnam. One particularly entertaining scene is when Sri Valli, on her wedding night, is engrossed in the serial. When her husband tries to get her attention, her reaction is hilariously bizarre. From this point, the film dives into a series of comic situations as the other two friends face similar challenges.
It’s not just these three friends—the entire town’s husbands suffer from the same issue. Then enters Maya. From this point, the story takes a new turn. Watching Samantha on the big screen is delightful, and she brings fresh energy to the narrative. Her appearance certainly offers relief to the audience. Maya gives some tips to the husbands and the friends plan how to change their wives’ behaviour.
The director smartly inserts the Cinema Bandi team into Subham and from their entry onward, the comedy escalates. The audience responds with claps and whistles when this familiar team appears. Additionally, the TV serial running in the background adds more humor. Rag Mayur, who debuted with Cinema Bandi and has acted in a few films since, delivers a comedic performance here as well.
There are, however, a few loopholes. The TV serial segments are dragged out a bit too much, and the climax isn’t entirely convincing. The director focuses more on generating laughs than on developing the story or exploring deeper emotions. Nonetheless, the small-town setting and the interactions among the three friends are realistically portrayed and executed well.
Technical Aspects
The film boasts high production values. Cinematographer Mridul Sen captures the small town beautifully—his camera work is one of the film’s highlights. Music by Clinton Cerejo is pleasant, while Vivek Sagar’s background score enhances several scenes.
Performances
R Harshith steals the show with his natural performance. As one of the three friends, he stands out for his expressions and body language—especially in the scene where his wife turns violent on their wedding night. He definitely has a promising future as an actor. Srinivas Gavireddy, who earlier directed a film and now turns actor, fits his role perfectly and delivers a strong performance. Charan Peri also does justice to his character.
The three female leads are relatively new but perform admirably. Shriya Kontham, in particular, handles her dual-shaded character (violent and normal) very well and looks charming on screen. Shravani Lakshmi’s expressive acting—especially her eyes—leaves an impact. Shalini Kondepudi also plays her part convincingly. Vamshidhar, who plays the Dish TV technician, is aptly cast. A major highlight of the film is the cameo by some characters from Cinema Bandi, which injects another layer of humor. Rag Mayur, though in a small role, shines once again. The blending of characters from the two films creates an enjoyable cinematic universe.
Finally, Samantha’s extended cameo elevates the film significantly. Her presence, expressions and humorous delivery, especially when explaining the meaning of certain words, are hilarious. Even her makeup assistant Arya makes a brief appearance.
Verdict
Subham is a clean, light-hearted comedy that delivers solid entertainment. The Praveen Kandregula–Vasanth Mariganti combination continues to thrive as they explore stories set in small-town India. With Subham, they succeed once again in providing a quirky comedy that serves as a stress buster. After a slew of violent and action-heavy films, Subham offers a refreshing change of pace. Kudos to Samantha for supporting new talent through this film. It’s definitely worth a watch—both for the laughs and to encourage fresh voices in cinema.
Cast: Samantha, R Harshith, Srinivas Gavireddy, Charan Peri, Shriya Kontham, Shravani Lakshmi, Shalini Kondepudi, Vamshidhar Goud, Rag Mayur, and others
Music: Clinton Cerejo
Background Score: Vivek Sagar
Cinematographer: Mridul Sujit Sen
Writer, Screenplay, Dialogues: Vasanth Mariganti
Producer: Tralala Moving Pictures
Director: Praveen Kandregula
Rating: 3/5
