Satyabhama review: Whenever Kajal Aggarwal has taken a risk (Awe!, Sita, Hey! Sinamika), it has worked out well for her. Irrespective of how the film fares at the box office or critically, she seems as comfortable playing an off-beat character as she is dancing in a masala film. Suman Chikkala’s Satyabhama once again gives her a meaty character that requires quite a bit of her.

Satyabhama story

ACP Satyabhama (Kajal) is the kind of cop who puts duty above all else - even if it means she will be late to her own wedding by a few hours. Her husband, writer Amar (Naveen Chandra) is the calming force in her otherwise chaotic life. She can’t get pregnant despite trying after a domestic abuse case changes her life. In a world where Satyabhama is used to reacting with her gun, will she learn to take a different approach?

Satyabhama review

Suman does a good job of not wasting any time and using all the 2-hours-14-minutes he has to explore the story. What he explores might not be what you expect it to be, and that’s a hit and mess for the film. Satyabhama starts out with Kajal’s character heading the SHE team, showing us the ugly side of domestic abuse cases. But through its runtime, the film takes on so many themes and brings in so many characters you end up wondering who’s essential and who isn’t.

Kajal Aggarwal gets a massy makeover

It’s so rare in Telugu cinema to see female characters kick butt (like in Saakini Daakini) that it’s thrilling to see Kajal get a chance to roll up her sleeves and land some flying kicks.

There’s a scene early on in the film where she cuts her hand on bangles while beating up a goon. When a constable tells her she should’ve removed them, she replies, “Lekunda kottadu ga, cheppada? (He beat them without wearing bangles; did they speak to him?)”

It doesn’t just shatter the misogynist ‘gajulu veskunava’ (are you wearing bangles) stereotype commercial Telugu cinema often employs while shaming characters; it’s the kind of punchy line usually reserved for male heroes.

Explores trauma well

Apart from how Kajal’s character is portrayed, Satyabhama does a good job of underlining how well SHE teams and the app can help women in vulnerable situations. Unlike most films that brush issues under the carpet, Satyabhama goes beyond showing how the titular character’s job might affect her life, and it’s not just due to lack of time. 

It acknowledges the demons Kajal’s character and the people she comes across carry, showing just how easily trauma can make you into the monster you have always loathed. It also shatters religious stereotypes based on how one character uses it to their benefit.

Takes on too many sub plots

Unfortunately, the above isn’t enough to make this film work. The cinematic ‘law of convenience’ often comes into play, allowing the director to take the easy way out. Despite Satyabhama’s intelligence, she frustratingly comes across what she needs pretty easily sometimes.

The film also makes it difficult to understand which characters are important in the long run. Amar is pretty much sidelined as the film progresses, only brought in to cheer Satyabhama on. With Prakash Raj, Harsha Vardhan, Payal Radhakrishna, Neha Pathan, and Ankith Koyya playing various roles, you don't know whom to concentrate on.

This would be forgivable if the director didn’t do the same with the film’s themes too. Topics revolving around gender violence, domestic abuse, human trafficking, doctors misusing power, corruption, drugs, and even AI games are picked and dropped as and when needed, with none of them explored to their full potential.

A watchable action-drama

Sashi Kiran Tikka (Goodachari, Major) wrote the screenplay for Satyabhama, which is why you know this film could’ve been better. Despite the actors putting on engaging performances, the film falls short of being a riveting cop drama. After a while, the numerous subplots feel jarring, and it’s hard to care where it’s all heading. 

Satyabhama works when exploring existential problems, shattering stereotypes and being sensitive about how it treats it characters. And just for that, it remains worth watching. The film is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

TeluguCinema

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