‘Sharathulu Varthisthai’ (conditions apply) is a disclaimer in the fine print that we often do not pay attention to. The disclaimer can give scamsters a window to loot the gullible. What if a common man says enough is enough and decides to make scamsters accountable? Director Kumara Swamy, who has co-written this Telugu film with Peddinti Ashok Kumar, narrates a story based on true incidents. The lower middle-class setting in Karimnagar, the Telangana dialect and some of the performances, especially that of Chaitanya Rao, lend authenticity to the narrative but, despite its good intentions, the film ends up as a generic drama.
As the title credits roll, we hear conversations and an unexpected turn of events that hint crime. One of the brief scenes in the initial portions also underlines the political aspirations of one character and the goodwill earned by another character who is a basti leader.
‘Sharathulu Varthisthai’ (Telugu)
The director moves back in time from this prologue to give us a closer view of life in a lower middle-class colony in Karimnagar. The snapshots establish the lived-in quality of the houses in the locality and its people who go about their daily grind.
We also get an insight into the life of the protagonist, Chiranjeevi (Chaitanya Rao Madadi), his family, which includes his mother and two younger siblings and his financial responsibilities. He is a clerk at a government office and reports to a genial officer. The unhurried pace of the small town and the conversations have the vibe of films of the 1980s or 1990s that presented simple stories of middle-class households. The issues that this film deals with are in the contemporary realm. When the first glimpse of the ‘Golden Plate’ chit fund investment scheme is shown as a newspaper advertisement, it is easy to predict the rest of the story.
Before opening that can of worms, Sharathulu Varthisthayi presents us with the romance between Chiranjeevi (a photograph in his house hints that his father was an ardent fan of the Telugu megastar) and Vijayashanti (Bhoomi Shetty). The ode to the real Telugu superstars — Chiranjeevi and Vijayashanti — remains an undercurrent and the director doesn’t leverage it with film clips to cater to the fandom.
The romance that has its beginning in a childhood friendship unravels how the relationship has weathered the travails of growing up in financially demanding situations. Vijayashanti’s character begins with a lot of promise but settles into a middling part of a woman who has courage but not foresight. The portions that show her naivete and impulsiveness in taking a decision and her tussles with her mother-in-law (Swarna Kilari) have a tedious, television soap-like quality.
For a considerable portion of the film, we are privy to middle-class aspirations. While Chiranjeevi has the maturity to refrain from shortcuts, those around him think otherwise. When the chit fund scam unfolds, it holds no surprises. That predictability would not have been an issue had the narrative not been sluggish in its portrayal of relationships.
The daily drama between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is mundane and drags on for more than necessary. It is similar with friends trying their best to make Chiranjeevi a part of the chit fund scheme.
The rags-to-riches story of those spearheading the chit fund plays out like an absurd drama and is a sad reflection of how, despite the farce presentation, the gullible do not see the larger picture.
A lot rests on Chiranjeevi, who is presented as a man who can do no wrong and is extremely empathetic to his family. At one point, when a frustrated Vijayashanti asks him why he never expresses his anger or disappointment, it is palpable. Perhaps this kind of characterisation was intended to show that ultimately, even a calm man can get irked when he and several other middle-class families are duped at the intersection of greed and politics. But the turnaround comes too late. The final portions do not have the intended impact since the resolution happens too smoothly, as though it’s all child’s play.
Chaitanya Rao turns in a sincere performance as an idealistic government employee and Bhoomi Shetty is also effective. The supporting actors, too, are aptly cast. It’s the writing that needed some zing, without which the film ends up as a well-intended but mundane public service announcement cautioning people to stay away from chit funds and gold schemes that promise big gains within a short time.
