Papam Pratap Movie Review:
Actor Thiruveer has carved a niche for himself with content-driven films and is considered a dependable choice for small-budget projects. After a series of successes, he has returned with Papam Pratap, which also stars Payal Radhakrishna. Directed by debutant SP Durga Naresh, and produced by ETV Win, the film is based on a real-life incident.
The story is centred on a newly married couple. Soon after the wedding, the wife leaves her husband, without citing a reason, sparking gossip across the village. The director bases the story on a rare sleep disorder — an interesting concept that had the potential to be both engaging and entertaining. However, the execution falls short, leaving the film with only a few scattered moments of humour.
Director: SP Durga Naresh
Cast: Thiruveer, Payal Radhakrishna, Raasi, Ajay Ghosh, Goparaju Ramana, Prasad Behara, Srinivas Avasarala, Raghu Babu, and others
The film is set in the late 1990s in a village near the Godavari region. Pratap (Thiruveer) falls in love with Bujjamma (Payal Radhakrishna) during their school days. Though Pratap’s father (Ajay Ghosh) initially opposes their marriage, he eventually agrees due to Pratap’s mother (Raasi). However, within three days of the wedding, Bujjamma leaves Pratap and approaches the village panchayat, claiming that something is wrong with him. While everyone begins to doubt Pratap, she refuses to reveal the actual issue, saying he must discover and correct it himself before she returns. What exactly is Pratap’s problem, what happens during his sleep, and how he resolves it forms the crux of the story.
SP Durga Naresh chooses a fresh and unexplored subject — a sleep disorder — but struggles to translate it effectively on screen. The film begins well, establishing the love story and wedding convincingly. However, once the central conflict begins, the narrative loses its grip. The director fails to generate either strong humour or emotional depth, and the storytelling turns predictable.
The father-son relationship had scope for emotional depth, but it remains underdeveloped. Casting Ajay Ghosh as the father doesn’t quite work, as his loud portrayal overshadows the emotional tone. In her return to Telugu cinema, Raasi performs well, but her character isn’t utilised effectively.
The decision to reveal the protagonist’s problem only around the interval, helps build some curiosity. However, the film fails to capitalise on that big reveal. The emotional and dramatic possibilities are left unexplored. Even after the parents learn about the issue, their reactions lack depth, missing an opportunity to create impactful scenes.
Goparaju Ramana’s character becomes more irritating than entertaining, with certain comedic elements failing to land. Scenes involving him and Ajay Ghosh are overly loud and do not add much value. The resolution of the protagonist’s problem also feels unconvincing and overly cinematic, stretching the narrative unnecessarily. At times, the film feels longer than it actually is.
There are a few genuinely funny moments scattered throughout, and the emotional scenes between Thiruveer and Raasi work well. With stronger writing, especially for Raasi’s character, the film could have had more emotional weight.
On the technical front, composer KM Radhakrishna, known for films like Anand, Godavari, and Chandamama, returns with this film, and does a decent job. Cinematographer Vishweshwar captures the rural setting effectively, though the production values reflect the film’s modest budget. The dialogues could have been sharper.
Performance-wise, Thiruveer delivers a sincere and committed performance. Payal Radhakrishna does well, particularly in the latter half. Raasi stands out in her role, while Ajay Ghosh feels miscast. Goparaju Ramana doesn’t make much of an impact, while Raghu Babu provides a few light moments. Devi Prasad is decent, and the supporting cast does a fair job.
Overall, Papam Pratap has an interesting premise but falters in execution. With tighter writing and better narrative control, it could have been a much more engaging film.