Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
What would you do if your highly superstitious village ran out of burial space, and laying the dead to rest any other way was considered criminally taboo? Keerthy Suresh faces this bizarrely serious dilemma as Apoorva, the newly appointed head of her village, in the Tollywood comedy ‘Uppu Kappurambu‘.
The film, created by Ani I.V. Sasi (director) and Vasanth Maringanti (writer), opens with a quick historical backstory using local wooden dolls to explain why the village of Chitti Jayapuram doesn’t cremate its inhabitants like the neighboring hamlets. Keerthy Suresh is hilariously introduced as a crying mess, playing Apoorva, who watches her father, the village head, being buried by a group of locals led by Chinna (Suhas), the cemetery caretaker. But over the course of this silly-but-fun comedy, the young Apoorva, who has little interest in inheriting her father’s position, becomes a reluctant but reliable village elder.
Apoorva is constantly targeted in humorous ways by the henchmen of Bheemayya (Babu Mohan), a wealthy man who covets her post, and also by Shatru (Madhubabu), the owner of a cinema hall, who try to derail her credibility as a leader. When, at a public meeting, Chinna raises the issue of shrinking burial space, everyone hounds Apoorva for a solution. To make things worse, there are ugly fights over the few lots still left, dividing the village. So, ‘Uppu Kappurambu‘ primarily follows a reluctant Apoorva’s rise to her leadership duties and the comedic antics of the villagers.
Keerthy Suresh is thoroughly entertaining in ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ as the comedic Apoorva, coached by her late father in handling questions to problems in a way which simply postpone the issue at hand and not actually solve them. For instance, he advises her to blame a third country whenever residents complain about the rising prices of food or commodities. But when she is faced with a serious shortage of burial space, it’s a conflict she simply cannot talk her way out of. She turns to Chinna for help, unaware that he is secretly plotting to reserve a lot for his ailing mother, Kondamma (Rameshwari), who wishes to be buried in Chitti Jayapuram.
Refreshingly, there’s no romantic sub-plot in the film, although there is a slight hint of romantic tension between Appoorva and Chinna, which ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ could’ve done without. From going out hunting for burial plots, to tackling superstitious priests, the plot is laden with jokes and gags, most that land, few that don’t.
What really works for ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ is its world-building, packed with quirky lore, oddball superstitions, and rural charm. The first half breezes by with light-hearted humor, lively villagers, and an engaging background score. One of my favorite bits in the movie is when Chinna and his friends go around Chitti Jayapuram, dancing and drawing up a list of those who might die soon, to understand how grave the cemetery problem is (pun intended, obviously).
It is in the final half-hour, things start to drag, and of course, there’s the obligatory speech from a lead character preaching unity and community spirit. ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ may not land any knockout punches, but thanks to its eccentric storyline and goofy but smart female lead, it still delivers an entertaining ride.
Rating: 7 on 10. Watch the film on Prime Video.
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