What Is the Story About?
Family Drama is set in a house where a strict father is ready to throw out his newlywed son Lakshaman and his daughter-in-law. The condition is to get a job in a couple of days or face the wrath. What happens when Rama (Suhas) enters the scene with his sinister ploy is Family Drama’s main story.
Performances?
Suhas is the lifeline of the movie, and it has to be said upfront. Without him and the way his characterisation is executed, there would be no interest in the narrative at all.
Right from the opening scene where Suhas enters the narrative on a bike swaying to a ‘Classical Bhajan’ like a song, he grabs the attention. All his solo scenes have come out well and capture the essence of the black comedy well. However, the lack of meat in the part as we get into the second half is apparent. It feels repetitive, but he is the only reason to sit through it.
Analysis
Meher Tej is the director of Family Drama. He also provides the story and screenplay along with Shanmukha Prashanth. Family Drama is a black comedy of sorts revolving around a family where the son would go to any length to get their share.
The opening hour of the movie is strictly passable. The director takes a long time in setting the different members of the family and their equation. It is straightforward without many twists. What holds the attention during this part is Suhas, his character and his antics. We are glued to the proceedings to see what he is up to next.
It is only around the pre-interval mark that we progress on the core story and what Family Drama is about. If not for Suhas, one might run out of patience by that time.
However, things take a turn for positive around the interval mark when the layers around crucial characters and their actual positions are revealed.
Things again get stagnant in the second hour with repetitive stuff. The mother and son track feels overdone, but the two women in the house make up for it. There are gripping moments involving the whole, but they come in between. A smooth flow is always missing.
What essentially work for Family Drama is the dark comedy moments involving Suhas. They are well done. The downside is the inconsistent tone where the narrative oscillates between seriousness and dark humour. The slow pace and long pauses don’t help the cause.
The ending takes an unexpected turn which is again justifying the title. It is alright and goes well with what has preceded it. But, it could have been executed well. The amateurishness is pretty easily visible.
Overall, Family Drama is an unevenly placed psycho-thriller drama involving a family, mostly shot in a single location. Suhas’s stellar act holds it together and makes it is a decent watch. Give it a try if you like to see something different than usual, but keep the expectations in check and be wary of the pace.
Other Artists?
There are limited artists in Family Drama. Besides Suhas, we have Teja Kasarapu, Pooja Kiran and Anusha Nuthula essaying vital roles. Each one is okay in the individual part, but none are impactful. Teja, especially, gets a decent role along with Suhas but is far from adequate. Pooja and Anusha are alright as they get a chance to shine in the second hour. Sanjay Ratha is acceptable and does his part with conviction. The rest of the cast has small bits and pieces, barring the one playing the mother role. She overacts.
Music and Other Departments?
There are no songs in the movie. Ajay and Sanjay provide the background score, and it is excellent. A lot of gripping moments in the narrative owe it to the background score. The cinematography by Venkat R Shakamuri is alright. It could have been better given the genre and the scope it provides. The editing by Ramakrishna Arram is okay. The writing is at the basic level, on the whole.
Highlights?
BGM
Suhas
Few Gripping Moments
Pre-Interval
Pre-climax
Drawbacks?
Screenplay
Pacing Issues
Story
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservation
Family Drama Review by Binged Bureau
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