Director Ani IV Sasi’s Uppu Kappurambu, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is a delightfully oddball Telugu satire that blends slapstick comedy with sharp social commentary. Set in the fictional 1990s village of Chitti Jayapuram, the film explores themes of caste, patriarchy, and dignity in death—all through the lens of a graveyard crisis.
Keerthy Suresh plays Apoorva, a reluctant village head thrust into power after her father’s death. Her first major challenge? The village cemetery is running out of burial space. Enter Chinna (Suhas), the graveyard caretaker, whose personal grief and bureaucratic frustrations form the emotional core of the film.
The narrative is packed with eccentric characters, from a gravestone-carrying villager to a flamboyant emcee hosting a lottery for burial plots. While the humor is broad and often exaggerated, the film’s underlying message about equality and tradition hits home. Suhas delivers a standout performance, grounding the chaos with sincerity and warmth. Keerthy’s portrayal is uneven at first but grows more compelling as the story unfolds.
Though the film occasionally loses focus with meandering subplots and over-the-top antics, it regains momentum in its poignant final act. Uppu Kappurambu may not be for everyone, but for those who enjoy satire with soul, it’s a ride worth taking.
Rating: 3/5