Saripodhaa Sanivaaram

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Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVivek Athreya
Written byVivek Athreya
Produced byD. V. V. Danayya
Starring
Cinematography
DVV Entertainment
Distributed bySri Venkateswara Creations
Release date
  • 29 August 2024 (2024-08-29)
Running time
175 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageTelugu
Budget₹55 crore
Box officeest. ₹100 crore[2][3]

Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (transl. Is Saturday not enough?) is a 2024 Indian

Abhirami Gopikumar, Aditi Balan, P. Sai Kumar, Subhalekha Sudhakar, Murali Sharma and Ajay Ghosh
. The film follows Surya, who fights injustices on Saturday and ends up clashing with Daya, a corrupt and sadistic cop.

The film was officially announced in October 2023 under the tentative title Nani 31, as it is the actor's 31st film as a lead actor, and the official title was announced a few days later. Principal photography commenced the following month. It was shot in several legs, predominantly in Hyderabad. The music was composed by Jakes Bejoy, while cinematography and editing were handled by Murali G. and Karthika Srinivas. Saripodhaa Sanivaaram released worldwide on 29 August 2024 to positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances (especially Nani and Suryah), music, action sequences, and screenplay, but criticised the runtime.

Plot

Surya, an

insurance agent at NLIC, struggles with significant anger issues. In his childhood, Surya's mother Chayadevi made him promise to channel his anger only on a specific day each week. Surya chose Saturday
as it was the day Chayadevi passed away. Surya keeps a journal in which he records the names and offenses of those who upset him, reviewing it each Saturday. Surya only acts on his anger if he feels justified; if he chooses to act, he can only do so until 11:59 pm on Saturdays.

Surya's violent tendencies are challenged by his father Sankaram and his sister Bhadra. Surya, in his childhood, harbored feelings for his friend Kalyani, whom he affectionately calls Kallu. However, Kallu moved away with her mother Prabhavati to escape from her abusive, alcoholic father Seethayya, and assumed a new identity. Surya's anger leads to a conflict at Bhadra's wedding, resulting in her severing all ties with him and taking a job as a teacher at a school. This infuriates Sankaram, who takes it upon himself to warn Surya's enemies on Saturdays as Surya has a habit of sparing those he cannot harm on that day in honor of Chayadevi.

Years later, Surya reconnects with Kallu, now known as Charulatha, who works as a

PC at the Sokulapalem police station. Her superior CI Dayanand "Daya" harbors resentment towards the residents as he believes that they played a role in his brother Koormanand's victory in the local corporate elections whom he hates. Sokulapalem has a history of crime, leading to systemic oppression of its residents, even though they don't engage in illegal activities. Whenever Koormanand pressures Daya about his property, which is in litigation and requires his signature to be sold, Daya retaliates by randomly arresting people from Sokulapalem, fabricating charges and inflicting police brutality
to relieve his frustration. Charulatha discreetly assists the community in small ways, gaining their trust.

Surya discovers Daya when the latter harasses an elderly woman on a court's premises. While Charulatha watches, Surya distracts Daya by throwing petrol under his car to make it look like a leak, allowing the woman to escape. Charulatha befriends Surya and soon notices that someone is targeting her aggressors on Saturdays, including Daya's assistant and confidant

vigilante
, warning that if Charulatha hears it from someone else, she might feel betrayed. When Daya attacks a family in Sokulapalem after being insulted by Koormanand, Surya takes them to the hospital. Charulatha arrives and hopes the Saturday guy will also take on Daya. Surya reveals that he is the Saturday guy, promising to take responsibility for Sokulapalem.

Charulatha discovers that Daya and Sudha plan to assassinate Koormanand at a temple on Thursday morning as attempting to do so in the evening would be pointless since Koormanand would be at a pub surrounded by many people. In response, Surya invites Koormanand to an NLIC event as the chief guest, postponing the attack to Saturday. On Saturday morning as Charulatha drives Daya to the temple, Sankaram sedates Surya with sleeping pills after learning about his plans from his journal and fearing for his safety. While Surya lies unconscious, Charulatha disrupts the scheme at the temple and Daya plans an assault at the pub that evening. Meanwhile, some of Surya's old enemies attack his family while Bhadra, now pregnant, visits them.

Although Surya manages to save his family and Koormanand from Daya in time, Bhadra demands that he abandon his Saturday rule if their relationship is to continue. Surya agrees and resolves his issues with Bhadra's in-laws. Daya, seriously injured in the attack, continues to search for the Saturday vigilante. Daya, now in Koormanand's good graces under the false impression that Daya was at the pub to protect him, is also searching for the Saturday guy, whom he believes is the assassin. Daya befriends Surya and continuously presents potential suspects from the community. Despite Surya's denials, Daya and Koormanand escalate their aggression, attacking everyone in Sokulapalem and warning them to bring back any workers, who have migrated within the next two days. The residents decide to protect the Saturday guy from Daya, boosting Surya's confidence that they can stand against Daya on their own.

On the following Saturday night, Daya and Sudha connect the dots and realize that Charulatha was behind the thwarted attack at the temple as she was the only one aware of it. Daya concludes that she is allied with the Saturday vigilante and identifies Surya as the Saturday vigilante. Koormanand retrieves the pub's CCTV footage and discovers that Daya intended to kill him. Before Koormanand can act, Daya shoots and kills him and frames the Saturday guy from Sokulapalem, prompting Koormanand's henchmen to attack the neighborhood. Surya rushes to Charulatha's house, learns her true identity as Kallu, and arrives at Sokulapalem, where he finds her injured and the terrified residents.

Daya challenges anyone from the community to confront him if they want to save Charulatha, but no one responds. Sankaram arrives and urges Daya to reconsider, reminding him that he has always been protected by those connected to Surya, including the people of Sokulapalem, from Surya's attacks. When Charulatha recognizes Sankaram, she learns who Surya is, and she is struck by how his perspective on violence has changed. According to Sankaram, after learning about the circumstances, Bhadra decided that Surya's rage was warranted and permitted him to act for the day by their mother's statements. Daya tries to hit a youngster in an attempt to vent his rage, but Suryas insists that someone from Sokulapalem must stand in his way. Surya intervenes and beats Daya when a resident lashes out. Sokulapalem residents rebel against Koormanand's goons. After obtaining Koormanand's CCTV footage, Govardhan murders Daya and Sudha the following morning.

Bhadra then gives birth to a daughter, and Surya and Charulatha marry.

Cast

  • Nani as Surya "Chinnu", an NLIC agent
    • Ruthvik Varma as young Surya
  • CI
    R. Dayanand "Daya"
  • PC Charulatha "Charu"/Kalyani "Kallu"[5]
  • Abhirami Gopikumar
    as Chayadevi, Surya and Bhadra's mother
  • Aditi Balan as Bhadra, Surya's elder sister
  • P. Sai Kumar as Sankaram, Surya and Bhadra's father
  • Murali Sharma as Koormanand, Daya's brother
  • Ajay as Govardhan, Koormanand's right-hand man
  • Jhansi
    as Vasudha, a therapist
  • Supreeth
    as Kaali, Narayana Prabha's son
  • Ajay Ghosh as Narayana Prabha
  • HC
    Kamalakar N.
  • SI
    Sudhakar
  • Ali as Surya's boss
  • Mime Madhu as a villager
  • Sivaji Raja as a villager
  • Satya Prakash as Seethayya, Chayadevi's brother and Kallu's father
  • Anitha Chowdary as Prabhavati, Kallu's mother
  • Vishnu Oi as Surya's friend
  • Jeevan Kumar as Koormanand's assistant
  • Vamsi Chaganti as Santhosh, Bhadra's husband and Surya's brother-in-law
  • Vadlamani Srinivas as Santhosh's father
  • Harsh Roshan as Faazil
  • Aruna Bhikshu as a car driver
  • Vinay Mahadev as Narayana Prabha's henchmen
  • Prudhvi Raj Palaparthi
  • Kaikala Satyanarayana as Koormanand and Dayanand's late father (photo presence)

Production

Development

In late May 2023,

DVV Entertainment, tentatively titled Nani31.[7] The title, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram was revealed on 23 October 2023.[8] A muhurtam pooja ceremony was held on 24 October 2023 in Hyderabad with the film's cast and crew.[9][10]

Casting

In October 2023, Priyanka Mohan and S. J. Suryah joined the cast,[11] with the former collaborating with both Nani and Suryah for the second time after Nani's Gang Leader (2019) and Don (2022), respectively. G. V. Prakash Kumar and Anirudh Ravichander were considered for the film's music composer, but Jakes Bejoy, Murali G and Karthika Srinivas were announced as music composer, cinematographer and editor respectively.[12]

Filming

Principal photography commenced in November 2023 in Hyderabad. The first schedule was wrapped up later that same month.[13][14] The second schedule commenced in late December 2023.[15][16]

Music

Main article: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (soundtrack)

The music and background score was composed by Jakes Bejoy in his maiden collaboration with Nani and Athreya.[12] The 12-song soundtrack had lyrics written by Sanapati Bharadwaj Patrudu, Sanare, Krishna Kanth and Karthik Sachin, and was preceded by three singles—"Garam Garam", "Ullasam" and "Sa Ri Ma Pa"— before the full album released by Sony Music India on 25 August 2024.[17]

Release

Theatrical

Saripodhaa Sanivaaram was released on 29 August 2024 in Telugu along with its dubbed versions also titled as Surya's Saturday in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada.[18] The film is scheduled to release in Japan on 14th February 2025. [19]

Home media

The film's post-theatrical digital streaming rights were acquired by Netflix for a cost of ₹45 crore, while Zee Telugu has acquired the satellite rights.[20] The film was premiered on Netflix from 26 September 2024.[21]

Reception

Critical reception

Goutham. S of Pinkvilla gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is a thoroughly action-packed film. The movie takes on the challenge of redefining the standards of violent cinema by incorporating elements that are more appealing to the masses."[22] Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "Nani and Vivek Athreya's second collaboration has all the highs of the quintessential mass masala entertainer, but it also comes with its fair share of lows."[23] Balakrishna Ganeshan of The News Minute gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is largely a well-written film. Every scene and character is relevant to the story. Each time you try to predict the plot, Athreya cleverly surprises you by widening the canvas."[24] Janani. K of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote, "With 'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram', Nani and director Vivek Athreya have a winner in their hands."[25]

Desimartini gave 2/5 stars and wrote, "Vivek Athreya attempts to create a quintessential Telugu action drama but seems to falter in a genre that doesn't play to his strengths."[29]

Sangeetha Devi Dundoo of The Hindu wrote, "Director Vivek Athreya's fine writing makes ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’ a nuanced action drama, accentuated by performances of Nani and SJ Suryah."[30] Pratyusha Sista of Telangana Today wrote, "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is a complete entertainer. With its engaging story, strong performances, and well-executed direction, it is a film that keeps the audience hooked from start to finish."[31]

Box office

Saripodhaa Sanivaaram earned over ₹6 crore in India and ₹19.75 crore worldwide on its opening day.[32] It concluded its run with worldwide gross estimated to be ₹94.80–100 crore.[33][34]

References

  1. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram". British Board of Film Classification.
  2. PINKVILLA
    . 24 September 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram released on OTT in 5 languages". The Economic Times. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  4. ^ BBFC. "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram". www.bbfc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  5. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived
    from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived
    from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  7. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived
    from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Nani's next titled Saripodhaa Sanivaaram; makers unveil exhilarating first glimpse video. Watch". The Indian Express. 23 October 2023. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  9. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived
    from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  10. ^ FC, Team (25 October 2023). "Nani's 'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram' Officially Launched". www.filmcompanion.in. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  11. ^ Arikatla, Venkat (22 October 2023). "Exciting Addition To #Nani31 Cast". greatandhra.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  12. ^
    ISSN 0971-8257. Archived
    from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  13. ^ FC, Team (17 November 2023). "Filming Of Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Kickstarts With An Action Sequence". www.filmcompanion.in. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  14. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived
    from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  15. ^ "'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram' resumes filming in Hyd". Telugu Cinema. 27 December 2023. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  16. ^ B, Satya (27 December 2023). "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Time For Nani". Gulte. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram: Nani unleashes rage in the first teaser; fans love its 'blockbuster vibes'". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  19. ^ Telugu, TV9 (5 February 2025). "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram: జపాన్‌లో విడుదలకానున్న నాని సినిమా.. పక్కా వర్కౌట్ అవుతుందంటున్న ఫ్యాన్స్". TV9 Telugu (in Telugu). Retrieved 6 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ISSN 0013-0389
    . Retrieved 5 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Nani-SJ Suryah's Saripodhaa Sanivaaram to have OTT premiere on this date". Cinema Express. 21 September 2024. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Movie Review: Nani starrer delivers action feast, elevated by SJ Suryah's devilish charisma". PINKVILLA. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram movie review: Nani and SJ Suryah power this tried-and-tested masala entertainer". The Indian Express. 29 August 2024.
  24. ^ Ganeshan, Balakrishna (29 August 2024). "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram review: Barring a few drawbacks, Nani's film is entertaining". The News Minute. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Review: Nani-SJ Suryah elevate Vivek Athreya's clever writing". India Today. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  26. ^ "'Saripodhaa Sanivaaram' review: Nani& SJ Suryah show". www.thehansindia.com (in Telugu). 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Review: A Vigilante Action Drama". Times Now. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  28. ^ Prakash, B. V. S. (29 August 2024). "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram: A film on anger management enrages audience with contrived plot". www.deccanchronicle.com.
  29. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram review: Nani, SJ Suryah can't save this dull plot". Desimartini. 29 August 2024.
  30. ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  31. ^ Today, Telangana (29 August 2024). "Film Review: "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram" – enough for this Saturday". Telangana Today. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Box Office Collections: Nani starrer rakes in 20cr worldwide of first day". Pinkvilla. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Final Box Office Collections Worldwide: Nani starrer set to end its global run, slightly short of Rs 100 crore mark". PINKVILLA. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  34. ISSN 0013-0389
    . Retrieved 14 January 2025.
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