Amartya Smaran
A couple of weeks ago, when The Pioneer inquired director Avasarala Srinivas about what people can expect from Phalana Abbayi Phalana Ammayi(PAPA), he said, “This film is more about relationships and you’ll find it very different from my previous films. I attempted a docu-indie style of filmmaking with this one.” The auteur has indeed delivered an endearing film after nearly seven long years.
Sanjay Peesupati(played by Naga Shaurya) and Anupama Kasturi(played by Malvika Nair) accidentally bump into each other at Sanjay’s restaurant(The Bell and Bottle) in the U.K., 2010. However, it is not such a pleasant sight for both of them as they had broken up a couple of years ago.
The first time Sanjay sees Anupama, he thinks of the moment they first kissed. It is clear from the onset that there’s something pure and innocent about these two people. Both carry a sense of dullness the moment they see each other. Imagine, you meet your ex-partner all of a sudden and you didn’t even get a perfect closure. If there was one(sigh!). Anyway, you get the point, right? PAPA is a simple break-up story told in chapters, tracing back to the time these two wonderful people first met.
It is the year 2000; Tarun’s Nuvve Kavali was a sensation and Anaganaga Aakasam Undi was ringing in everybody’s ears(wink). Young Sanjay and Anupama are engineering students at PLRP College. Anupama is one year senior to Sanjay. When a bunch of girls(seniors) rag on Sanjay, Anupama comes to the rescue and that’s the first time they meet. She tells the girl, “I know him!”. The next time Sanjay finds himself in the same situation along with his sidekick Valentine aka Vali(played by Abhishek Maharshi), he says in a squeamish tone, “Anupama and I are best friends. Leave me alone. We went to British Grammar School.” Of course, he’s lying and she gets to know about it and confronts him. Here, she tries to rag him and unintentionally hurts him. To make it up, she offers him a part in a skit that they’d be performing for Farewell Class of 2000. It all began on July 9, 2000.
The narrative cuts to 2004, and our characters are in the UK pursuing their master’s degrees. Avasarala succeeds in showing the physical transformation of the characters really well. They grow from these naive college-going teenagers to adults with goals and aspirations. Sanjay and Anupama are still besties. Giri(Avasarala Srinivas) asks Anupama on a coffee date. He’s one character that will cause a lot of distress to Sanjay and the audience alike. Anu tells Sanjay about this and everything seems fine, but she also tells him that Giri and many people around them think they’re together. They think they often cross limits and come up with a code word called Kafifi, to stop each other from going overboard in public. At one point when Anu utters the code word, Sanjay gets offended and this brings out the best in them.
You can’t help but get engrossed in the world of PAPA. The framing(cinematography by Sunil Kumar Nama) is almost voyeuristic. Probably that’s exactly what filmmaker Avasarala Srinivas wanted in the first place and Sunil Kumar does a brilliant job. You feel shaky when things heat up and the cinematography intensifies the effect. The music(by Kalyani Malik) teleports you into the world of the characters and so does the sound design. “We wanted to record sound on sets because dubbing always kind of gets some artificiality in the sound,” said the filmmaker. Speaking of the actors, this film would be nothing without Naga Shaurya and Malvika Nair. They are super consistent with their performances and there’s not a single scene where they go wrong.
With each passing year(2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), Sanjay’s and Anupama’s relationship sours. Sanjay isn’t okay with Anu relocating to a different place for her job and this causes extraordinary conflict. Back in 2005, Anu spots a lump in her breast. When she’s at the operation theater and needs Sanjay the most, he isn’t available. That puts her off and stains their relationship. Remember what pops up in Sanjay’s mind when he first sees her? Well! All that Anupama can think of is the time when he wasn’t there for her. In the second half of the film, the screenplay often goes back and forth between 2010, from the UK, to other scenes in different timelines. Finally, Anu and Sanjay find themselves in the present-day United Kingdom at Sanjay’s 17th-century home. All that Anu wants is closure and Sanjay is more than willing to give that but is she ready to listen?
If you’ve ever been in love, PAPA is a film that you’ll relate to. You’ll vouch for the characters and all you can think of is Sanjay and Anupama being together. I’m guessing this film will stand the test of time, and at least I’ll be able to relate to it when I revisit the film in 2055. Most preferably with my ex(haha).
PAPA starring Naga Shaurya, Malvika Nair, Avasarala Srinivas, Abhishek Maharshi, and Srividya Maharshi, hit the screens on March 17. The film marks Avasarala Srinivas’ third directorial venture and is produced by T.G. Vishwa Prasad, Padmaja Dasari, and People Media Factory in association with Dasari Creations.
Rating: 3.5/5
