Sodara Review: Sampoornesh Babu's family drama is a cringe fest of epic proportions

Sodara Story

Chiru (Sampoornesh Babu) and Pawan (Santosh) are two brothers who love each other very much. One fine day, Chiru comes across his neighbour Divi (Aarti Gupta), professes his love to her, and gets rejected. Upset with this, he asks his parents to find a match and says yes to it as soon as he sets eyes on Bhuvana (Prachi Bansal). But the twist in the tale arises when the younger brother, Pawan, comes to know that the girl his parents found for his elder brother is none other than his girlfriend. How the brothers deal with this tricky situation is the whole story of the film.

Sodara Review

Sodara is written and directed by Manmohan Manepally, and he chooses a very old-school storyline to present his film in 2025. For starters, one gets a feeling of how such a film was passed by the producers in the first place. Apart from the interval bang, there is nothing new that the film's story conveys. Such subjects have been showcased in so many films to date, and Sodara is just an extension of those films.

Baby fame Sai Rajesh introduced Sampoornesh Babu as a hero in his film Hrudaya Kaleyam. The film was a spoof comedy and worked wonders for Sampoo. But he did not make use of the fame and did only a few films, and that too as a hero. So now, in today's world, he does not fit in the role of a proper comedian or a solo lead. The audience loves him irrespective of the films he acts in, and that loyalty is showcased in the initial parts of the film when he is introduced. But once he is done, Sampoo is made to look like a man out of place and hams for no reason in the entire film.

The interval bang has been executed well, and the twist that comes in is showcased in a very engaging manner. But to come to this point, the makers showcase two love stories that are horrible and are not able to sit through one bit. The film is stuck in the 80s, and there is so much lag in the entire first half. Things tend to get better in the second half, but this, too, lasts only for a few scenes.

The forced comedy and over-the-top family emotions do not click one bit. The writing is so bland that one wonders how on earth such a film was made in the first place. Also, the film ends with a big lie, as the brothers’ love story succeeds, and this does not happen organically. Things need not end with a lie, and this looked silly.

Coming to the performances, Sampoornesh Babu is stuck in the good days of his debut film and acts as if Sodara is a spoof film. He needs to get back to his comedy roles and make a living out of it. Santosh, who plays the other lead, is also dull and has a lot to learn. He looks rustic and takes a lot of time to grow on you.

Also Read: 5 Must-watch romantic comedies of Nani to stream on OTT

But the female leads have done a great job. Prachi Bansal is the one who is very good in the film. Be it her screen presence or performance, she has aced it. The other lead, Arti Gupta, was also okay in her role. It was so good to see veteran comedian Babu Mohan in a key role. He was okay, and so was the rest of the cast.

The camerawork, production values, and visuals are nothing great to talk about. On the other hand, the music is very good, as all the songs fit well in the narrative. But all this is of no help, as the narrative is boring and is made to look silly. When films like Sankranthiki Vasthunnam make record money despite having no story, there is not a single episode in Soadara that is satisfactory in the film, as films like these have been made in the late 80s and end up in no man's land.

Sodara Verdict

On the whole, Sodara is a boring family drama that fails to click in every aspect. Barring the interval episode, the film does not have anything going its way and needs to be avoided this weekend.

Also Read: Sarangapani Jathakam locks OTT platform: Where to stream Priyadarshi's film online