Release Date : December 16, 2022
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring: Indra Sena, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni, Sonia Agarwal, Prudhvi Raj, Anish Kuruvilla & Others
Director: Venu Mandikanti
Producers: Thulasiram Sappani and Shanmugam Sappani
Music Director: Ravi Basrur
Cinematography: Krishna Murali
Editor: Gowtham Raju
Related Links : Trailer
This Friday, a PAN Indian film named Sasanasabha got released in theatres. With Indra Sena in the lead role, the film also has artists like Rajendra Prasad, Sonia Agarwal, and others in crucial roles. Let’s see how the film is.
Story:
The film is set in a fictitious state amidst the political backdrop. In the latest elections conducted, no single party gains an absolute majority leading to a hung. Hence independent MLAs become crucial in forming the government. The former CM decides to seek the help of Durga (Amit Tiwari), an influential political person, in getting the Independent MLAs’ support. Durga, who is in prison, gets saved by Surya (Indra Sena) from a murder attack. Durga makes an invaluable offer to Surya and asks him to join him. What is this offer? Did Surya accept it? Which party formed the government? Who became the state CM? Watch the film to know the answers.
Plus Points:
The political backdrop is nicely showcased in the film, which makes viewers involved in the movie in the first hour. The characters are well-established initially, and the political drama that happens in this part is engaging. The strategic moves made by politicians to be ahead of their opponents, like in the game of Chess, are executed in a fair manner.
Certain dialogues are well-written and make us think. For example, a scene where the lead actor talks about how government welfare schemes and freebies might affect people in the wrong way is nicely written and had depth in it. The film also has references to modern-day politics, and a few burning topics are touched upon bravely.
Indra Sena, who played the main protagonist, did his part well. In action sequences, he was so good. Rajendra Prasad is a terrific performer, and he once again shines in his given role. Aishwarya Raj Bhakuni looked good and was okay in her limited role. Others like Prudhvi Raj, Sonia Agarwal, and Anish Kurivalla are decent. The first half was fast-paced, with interesting moments.
Minus Points:
The major problem lies with the second half, which is strictly below par. After a promising start, the film goes completely off track in this latter part with many boring and uninteresting scenes. In contrast to the first hour, the narrative also shifts gears and becomes slow.
Two major flashback sequences happen during this time and fail to make an impact. The second flashback episode, in particular, is dragged unnecessarily, adding to the length. It keeps on going with some routine scenes, and the editing team should have done some sharp work here.
Due to these prolonged flashbacks, the ending feels rushed, and a few key elements discussed here go unnoticed. The songs are not required for this sort of political drama, and including them reduces the impact as a whole. Also, they do come at the wrong time, boggling down the momentum. The VFX at places was shoddy.
Technical Aspects:
The music by KGF fame Ravi Basrur is solid, and he intensifies the proceedings with this powerful background score. The cinematography by Krishna Murali is exemplary, and certain scenes like the jail fight, and the Assembly set, are nicely captured through his lens. The editing, as mentioned earlier, is not up to the mark, and the makers should have reduced the film’s length by 10 minutes at least.
The production values are good, as the visuals looked rich. Coming to the director, Venu Mandikanti, he did just an okay job with the film. His intention to make a powerful film on corrupted politics is good, but the execution was not wholly satisfactory. The story was penned by Raghavendra Reddy and had good potential. Things could have been different if the second hour had been kept short with some new elements.
Verdict:
On the whole, Sasanasabha is a so-so political drama that gets exciting in parts. The first hour had good moments, and the way the corrupted public representatives behave is showcased fairly. But the film’s graph drops highly in the second half with routine flashback sequences, making this film just an okay watch this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team