Appudo Ippudo Eppudo Movie Review: Caper, but not quirky enough

Badrinarayan, the main antagonist figure in Appudo Ippudo Eppudo, played by John Vijay, is a quintessential comic villain. He has all the eccentricities that make for a memorable bad guy. He makes unreasonably bad decisions; he has a loyal man Friday who respects him despite all his missteps. He is surrounded by a team of henchmen who maintain a deadpan face to all his antics. He also has a medical condition that leads him to build an intensive care ward at his abode.

There is something else that sets Badri apart—it’s the jealousy he feels of one of his own henchmen who can’t stop hitting on his girlfriend. John Vijay understands the assignment as Badri and goes suitably overboard to bring a manic goofy energy to the villain figure. The problem is—he seems to be a right villain stuck in the wrong film. Sudheer Verma’s Appudo Ippudo Eppudo, despite all the right ingredients for a quirky comic thriller, falls short. 

Director: Sudheer Verma

Cast: Nikhil Siddhartha, Rukmini Vasanth, Divyansha Kaushik, Ajay, John Vijay, Harsha Chemudu, Satya

Appudo Ippudo Eppudo largely revolves around the struggles of Rishi, an aspiring car racer who has made some progress in his profession but not enough to reach a point of success or financial affluence. The film uses his professional background to some degree early on, before it decides to conveniently let it go in the latter portions. The film is also risky enough to place its bets on a non-linear narrative style, where things could get a little confusing to follow. There is also a good twist about the murder that lies at the centre of this narrative.

Yet, the narrative never gathers enough steam. Unfortunately, the non-linearity eventually gets to the audience because there is not enough juice in the material here to keep us intrigued about the plot unconditionally. It’s borderline unpardonable for a film of this genre and this material to be boring or uninteresting in any measure—but Appudo Ippudo Eppudo does precisely that. Director Sudheer Verma struggles to maintain momentum, despite incorporating many elements that fit in very well in the caper template, failing to weave these moments in a coherent or satisfying manner. Early on, a murder is established at the centerstage of this narrative that causes Rishi to fall in trouble, but the narrative forgets to build enough tension, instead cutting away to another of its flashbacks. The ensuing portions are partially fun but also devoid of any real stakes.

There are many moments where Rishi’s friend Balaji (Harsha Chemudu) is found to be the culprit, the catalyst for all the bad situations Rishi finds himself in. Unfortunately, this screenplay doesn’t have the wit to establish this recurring motif in a more humorous fashion. It ends up being just another scene instead of adding to the irony of the proceedings. To its credit, the film has a few good breezy songs that serve as the background score for some pleasant romantic sequences. During a tense sequence, the background score catches your attention as Sunny MR incorporates a sound of heavy breathing to underline the panicky atmosphere at hand. Yet it works better as a standalone element because that’s how Appudo Ippudo Eppudo appears in its final form—an arbitrary collection of quirks rather than a coherent comic caper.

Rukmini Vasanth, despite a blandly written role, brings great warmth and sincerity to her scenes. Divyansha Kaushik, on the other hand, gets a meatier part as Tulasi but isn’t adequate enough to add to the film’s overall charm. Nikhil Siddhartha underplays a lot, which could be apt for some of his scenes considering here’s a character who often keeps his card close to his chest. Yet, the strain shows on occasions, especially in comic scenes where Harsha Chemudu always ensures good comic timing. The Kartikeya actor also isn’t particularly convincing in the action scenes. Satya, in a special appearance, brings a few laughs. 

To cut a long story short, there is plenty of potential in this script that involves gold diggers, police chases, and secret bank accounts, among many other fun elements, and yet surprisingly neither comes together as a whole nor provides enough entertainment to make the theatre visit worth it.