Savyasachi Review: A novel premise ruined by conventional narration

The Premam combination of director Chandoo Mondeti and actor Naga Chaitanya are back with Savyasachi, an ambitious commercial entertainer with a fascinating storyline. The film draws its plot from the Vanishing twin syndrome, where a twin  disappears in the uterus during pregnancy as a result of a miscarriage and its fetal tissue is absorbed by the other twin. In this story, the missing twin lives inside his brother and shows his dominance through his brother's left hand, especially when he gets ecstatic or annoyed.

High-spirited Vikram Aditya (Naga Chaitanya) leads a peaceful and contented life with his sister (Bhumika Chawla), brother-in-law (Bharath Reddy) and his niece. He is very much attached to the little girl and believes that she's the reincarnation of his mother. But fate suddenly throws up some unexpected twists in his life and Vikram believes that there is more to it than meets the eye. His hunch is proved right and there is a demonic man, Arun (Madhavan) behind his ordeal.

The ambidexterity of Vikram is the fulcrum of Savyasachi. However, Chandoo spends way too much time in the first hour on the set up before getting to the meat of the story. The non-stop song and dance sequences are quite draining. The second hour, as expected, has enough to chew on, but the story lacks the adrenaline rush of an edge-of-the-seat thriller and falls prey to predictability and melodrama. The novel premise barely drums up any excitement and the film is marred by a tepid narrative which takes the conventional cliche-filled route. The plot is also plagued with logic issues. 

As for the performances, Naga Chaitanya gets into the character and makes the film watchable for the most part. He does well in the action sequences, but needs to work on his facial expressions. Niddhi Agerwal is the perfect foil for Chay’s energetic performance. She shines with her vibrant dance moves and adds panache to her character. Rao Ramesh and Bhumika are adequate in their brief roles.

Unlike Aravind Swamy (Dhruva) and Arjun Sarja (Abhimanyudu), Madhavan isn't quite believable as an evil genius, and his character, with the inevitable plot twists, seems conventional and exaggerated. He fails to pack a punch in this poorly-etched role.

Vennela Kishore and Satya bring in a few smiles with their comedy. The much-hyped Subhadra Parinayam episode is just an incredibly distracting spoof with plenty of double entendres. Such regressive and old-fashioned bits stick out like a sore thumb and make the narrative drag its feet in the second hour. 

Overall, Savyasachi is a film that offers too little from a director who has proved he is capable of more. By the time the film’s over, the viewers may feel like vanishing from their seats.