COMEDY OF THE SURREAL WITH THE REAL

Salman Rushdie in his book ‘The Satanic Verses’ equated a ghost, perhaps flippantly, to ‘unfinished business’. The novelty in the esoteric comparison is surely undeniable.     

“ಸು ಫ್ರಮ್ ಸೊ” (Su From So) is a 2025 Kannada comedy film that uses a horror theme to throw light on an evil that plagues every misogynistic, male dominated society.  The movie touches upon the exploitation of women, who have to also endure often the trivialisation and normalisation of such occurrences.

Set in the village of Marluru in Coastal Karnataka, the flick features Ravi Anna (Shaneel Gautham) as a Good Samaritan and the big, alpha male of the local community. Sycophantic sidekicks— Chandra (Prakash Thuminad), Satisha (Deepak Panaje) and others— surround Ravi Anna, the go-to guy for local affairs of the village.

Enter Ashoka (JP Thuminad), a young man, who all and sundry believe is possessed by the ghost of a deceased lady called Sulochana from Someshwara, another village nearby. And, before anyone can say Jack Robinson, the well-meaning villagers seek the help of Swamy (Raj B. Shetty), a preacher, for exorcising the spirit.

What unfolds next onscreen is a motley medley of comical, chaotic incidents…that throw the idyllic, leisurely village life into topsy-turvy turmoil. In the midst of all the frenzied craziness is Ravi Anna’s blossoming love for Bhanu (Sandhya Arakere); the repeated failures of Swamy at expelling the spirit from Ashoka; and, the binge-drinking of boorish, boisterous Bhaava (Pushparaj Bolar).

Oh…and not to forget, seamlessly welded into the mirthful moments is the soft, subtle, yet substantive message for society! In short, it is an absolutely rollicking, rib-tickling entertainer…with a storyline that oscillates between the sublime actions of the supernatural and the mundane reactions of folks in the natural world.

Written by debutant director, J.P. Thuminad, this flick begins on a slow note. Simple execution is the hallmark of the direction, much of which is courtesy: the brilliant script with its comic structure and delivery orchestration par excellence. He adroitly blends the social and natural with the supernatural!

S Chandrasekaran’s cinematography is a perfect foil for the raw and rustic environs in which the movie is set. Sumedh K’s music and Sandeep Thulasidas’ background score are bearable, if not memorable. Had the editing been more clinical, the viewing experience would have been zanier, surely.

The ensemble cast is masterfully selected. Shaneel Gautam impressed with a performance that brims with rustic and naive machismo. Raj K Shetty, Prakash Thuminad, Deepak Panaje, JP Thuminad, et al, have all acted commendably well.

Pushparaj Bolar is a little over-the-top in his portrayal of a hopeless drunk.  Sandhya Arekere practically lives her role; she renders gravitas and grimness to her role within the shambolic mess all around.

The last word: This fresh-as-lily masterpiece is a riveting laugh riot that melds the scary with the crazy. The thematic message therein is a bonus!

I give this side-splitting ‘hormedy’– my portmanteau for “horror comedy”— a rating of: 8.5 on 10!