Bandi Saroj Kumar, the multi-hyphenate artist, earned an immense following online with his independent film projects like Nirabandam 2, Mangalyam, Nirabhandam, and Sironcha. His style of work is idiosyncratic, infused with hard-hitting dialogues and dramatic performances. His effort, grasp over many crafts and relentless passion are truly commendable. From developing YouTube shorts to producing and releasing a film in theaters, the man has come a long way. The fact that Parakramam exists as a theatrical outing itself is a miracle, especially given his multiple roles for it. He is the writer, actor, producer, editor, music composer, lyricist, and director of Parakramam.

The film stars Bandi Saroj Kumar as theatre artist Satti Babu, who is known as Charlie Chaplin in his village of Lampakalova. He aspires to create a play that will reveal a ruthless injustice that he witnessed in his community. But he lacks the strength to fight the enemies. He acknowledges that Lovaraju, his son (Bandi Saroj Kumar), possesses the courage that he lacks. He ends his life with a promise from his son that he will right all the wrongs and play the part of Yama in the play he has written, titled Parakramam. The tale revolves around Lovaraju's heroic journey with cricket, a broken love story and his decision to realise his father's vision by staging his play at Ravindra Bharathi. 

Director: Bandi Saroj Kumar

Cast: Bandi Saroj Kumar, Sruthi Samanvi, Nikhil Gopu, Naga Lakshmi Yellagula, Mohan Senapathi, and Anil Lingampally

The film’s opening and the stretch until the introduction of Lovaraju create an emotional impact. The psychological setup with Satti Babu, played effectively by Bandi Saroj, is compelling and leaves you with hope for a pay off. But the payoff is messy and the film never moves in one direction. After Lovaraju comes into the picture, the narrative veers too much and portrays him in the most heroic light. Every dialogue of his has a serious philosophy delivered in the most theatrical way possible, with a thumping background score. You can see where the film is going, and it leaves you wondering where all this parakramam (bravery) stops.

The screenplay is like a fever dream with rapid cuts to a theatre play, the past and the present. The best way to interpret this zigzag screenplay is through sub-chapters, including Lovaraju’s love story with Naga Lakshmi's character, his heroics as a top-notch batter in gully cricket, his desire to perform a play at Ravindra Bharati, and his equation with Bujjamma played by Sruthi Samanvi. The film doesn’t sit at one place and dabbles with different themes. There’s the theme of casteist politics, of women empowerment and infidelity, of immoral rituals, and a Chiranjeevi-esque hero who trumps every predicament with a deep-philosophical dialogue. You’d hope all these fractures would come together to create a meaningful ending, but it leaves you with disappointment. 

There’s so much to admire in Parakramam, though. The film surprises you with its pacy editing, the transitions, the musical touches, and the way the camera can create energy even in a low-budget production. Technically, the film does not disengage you. Bandi Saroj Kumar and art designer Phani Musi make you believe in the locations they choose for the apartment they rent, the stadium they play cricket in, the village theatre exhibition areas and even the indoors. The most enjoyable part is the guitar-laden score, the emotional piano, the bass-heavy elevation beats. However, none of these add up to a coherent theatrical experience. 

The performances by Kireeti Raju as Suri Babu and Sruthi Samanvi as an autistic Bujjamma stand-out. Bandi Saroj Kumar impresses as Charlie Chaplin and brings the vulnerability necessary to draw the viewer in with the story. The cinematography by Venkat R Prasad creates as much momentum as the director demands. All the B-roll footage of Hyderabad and the village also add texture to the film. However, the grading of the film feels inconsistent, with erratic shadows and colour tone. Considering that it’s a low-budget production, these are minute hiccups. 

Bandi Saroj Kumar seems to be in a hangover with his highly appreciated indie projects as he writes every scene to elevate himself to satisfy his internet fans while sacrificing a more coherent story for mere mass moments. The unassuming general audience who is new to his cinema would be left feeling confused and disconnected to the film's heroic antics. Sure, this is a filmmaker with a penchant for heroism, yet the journey he takes you through turns out to be middling. Even the dialogue, which he is famous for in his previous outings, is too philosophical and out-of-context in Parakramam. But there is definitely one line that is a treat, “Kala unnodi daggarki kaayitham adhey osthadi” (The one who has art, the paper called money will fly to them). It sums up how this solo creator came this far.