Sai Dharma Tej in ‘Virupaksha’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
When a story discusses paranormal activity, it’s easy to dismiss it as superstition. The storyteller’s task, then, is to build the world of the story so that the audience is drawn into it and remains invested in the mysterious events and empathizes with certain characters. Director Karthik Varma Dandu who has written the story of the Telugu film Virupaksha, scripted by Sukumar, painstakingly builds the fictional world of Rudravanam village. As a series of terrifying events unfolded, I found myself wondering why a character walking in the woods at night should invite trouble or another character crossing a sacred line. An hour into the film, a particularly spooky incident sets the stage for the protagonist, played by Sai Dharam Tej, to embark on a quest.
An incident in the late 1970s forms the basis of a part of the story that takes place in 1991. Help is not a call or click away.
Surya (Sai Dharam Tej) moves to Rudravanam village with his mother. They are greeted by what the mother thinks may be a bad omen. Surya brushes it off as a possibility in the woods. In Rudravanam, life revolves around the village deity and rituals directed by the temple priest (Sai Chand). A hastily and superficially written romance blossoms between Sarpanch’s (Rajeev Kanakala) daughter Surya and Nandini (Samyukta Menon).
Virupaksha
Cast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyukta Menon, Rajeev Kanakala, Sai Chand, Brahmaji
Direction: Karthik Verma Dandu
Music: B. Ajneesh Loknath
Srigendra Tangala’s production design and Shamdat Sanudin’s cinematography help give the village an authentic feel and most of the characters seem to fit into that world. The allowance of looking glamorous is given only to a female lead. More than the Suriya-Nandini love story, the subplot involving another couple looks realistic.
The story follows somewhat predictable trajectories. We know that Surya will stay in the village for a long time and become their protector. For a long time, he keeps abreast of the events of the village without being directly involved in them. A sense of purpose is activated when a loved one is in danger and begins the search.
We get a lot of night sequences (some of which recall Manoj Night Shyamalan), unexplained deaths, a desolate mansion, and rituals of various kinds. Along with the cinematography, Ajneesh Loknath’s background score, Naveen Nooli’s editing and remarkable sound design ensure that the interest is maintained and the narrative delivers chills from time to time. There are no scary ghosts, no gory scares, but there are enough situations to instill fear. A story like this is also bound to be flashback heavy to highlight certain plot points. The reveals are effective and also help overcome some clichéd tropes. To explain further would mean to reveal spoilers. And thankfully, the film only has two situational songs and half an action sequence which soon understays its welcome.
Sai Dharam Tej fits the bill as an outsider investigating a mystery. He is happy to be a spectator till he finds himself in a place. Samyukta’s screen presence is good and it counts in the latter parts which demand something more from her. The only quibble about the narrative is the quick weak romance. Had this part been better written and narrated, the impact of the final parts would have been better. The supporting cast includes Sai Chand, Brahmaji, Sunil, Ajay and many more of Virupaksha Strength.
Virupaksha has a lot going for it and is one of the best supernatural thrillers in Telugu cinema in recent years. A big thumbs up especially to the technical team.