Review : Theppa Samudram – Half-baked crime thriller

Theppa Samudram, directed by Sateesh Rapolu and starring Arjun Ambati, Kishori Dhatrak, and Chaitanya Rao in the lead roles, is now out in theatres. Let’s see how it is.

Story:

Set in a place called Theppa Samudram, the film is about the missing cases of school girls. Vijay (Arjun Ambati) is an auto driver who madly loves crime reporter Indu (Kishori Dhatrak). SI Ganesh (Chaitanya Rao) is in charge of dealing with missing cases. An incident makes Ganesh suspect Vijay to be the person behind the crimes. Who is the criminal? Did Ganesh find the truth? Did Vijay confess his love to Indu? Is Vijay connected to the missing cases? The film provides the answers.

Plus Points:

Theppa Samudram has a routine plot, which we have seen in multiple films, but what works well is the second half and the manner in which the twists are revealed. The main twist isn’t revealed at a stretch, making us look forward to the sequences during the last half-hour. These scenes offer a thrilling experience and will keep us on tenterhooks.

The scenes in the second hour will initially remind us of Srikanth’s superhit fantasy film, but how things conclude is convincing. The director and the team’s thought process in giving a different treatment to this routine plot is appreciable.

Arjun Ambati is natural in his portrayal, and his performance gets better as the film progresses. Kishori Dhatrak doesn’t have much screen time, but she is at ease with her performance. Ravi Shankar lends solid support to the narrative.

Minus Points:

Though the director handled things well in the second half, he couldn’t do the same as far as the first half is concerned. The investigation angle could have been presented better, and there isn’t any urgency in the storytelling here. The narrative unfolds at a slow pace, and there isn’t anything remarkable that happens in the first hour. The love track is pretty boring, and till the pre-interval, the film is dull.

The songs are quite good but don’t add much value to the proceedings. Kishori Dhatrak did a fantastic job in her previous film, Korameenu, but her role in Theppa Samudram doesn’t give her much scope to shine. She goes missing for a significant time in the second half. The actress is shown as a crime reporter, but the film doesn’t showcase her efforts to solve the missing cases.

Chaitanya Rao didn’t dub for his role, and due to this the impact is misssing in crucial scenes. The comedy scenes didn’t work as intended, and these scenes could have been edited for a better impact.

Technical Aspects:

Peddhapalli Rohith’s songs are captivating, but they don’t fit into the narrative. His background score is neat as well. Shekhar Pochampally’s visuals are solid, and the way the small-town setup is showcased is pretty good. The editing leaves a lot to be desired, as many scenes in the first half are boring.

The production values are neat. Sateesh Rapolu’s direction is a mixed bag. While the second half has good twists, the director couldn’t maintain the tempo in the first half, causing boredom.

Verdict:

On the whole, Theppa Samudram has a routine plot that has been presented with a few twists. The first half is very boring, laced with a dull love track, but the film ends well with a couple of twists. Ambati Arjun did a good job, and Ravi Shankar was effective. The unexciting first hour dilutes the impact considerably and tests patience levels. If the team had taken more care regarding this aspect, Theppa Samudam would have been a fine thriller.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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