Revisting Sahasam (2013) - Is it Really Underrated? - Review + Interesting Facts

Credits

Cast: Gopichand, Tapsee Pannu, Shakthi Kapoor, Suman, Ali, etc

Music: Sri

Camera: Shyam Dutt

Art: S Ramakrishna

Editing: Kotagiri Venkateswararao

Dialogues: K.K. Radha Krisha Kumar

Lyrics: Ananth Sriram

Fights: Selva

Story, screenplay & Direction: Chandra Sekhar Yeleti

Producer: BVSN Prasad

Release date: 12 July 2013

Movie collected 13.5 crores share and while it was a safe project for producer but small loss venture for distributors, everyone who bought the movie had small losses so it can be termed as above average movie. 

Writing/Direction

So this is basically National Treasure + Indiana Jones mixed into one. 

Also add the chandamama kathalu in there which I personally never read but I remember when I was young just hearing about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves open sesame etc it’s all there. 

This is given a India Pakistan border conflict with Hinglaj Devi temple backdrop ate serve as catalyst for the story. 

Why it’s National treasure is granfather or relative goes looking for treasure and leaves a treasure map for others to come find it where a mount Ian of wealth lies. There it was Nicolas Cage and then here it’s gopichand. 

Indiana Jones because of the globetrotting adventure aspect. Here they go from one border to the next but this Indiana Jones is the GOAT of adventure movies, oviisuly the comparisons will be there where hero and villains looking for treasures, huge dive into the final location, hero fights villain and something usually happens where treasure gets lost forever. 

Here they talk about partition but everything about it so well done and makes for an intriguing adventure drama in Indian context. 

The last 45 mins however were very good. Classic adventure movie where hero and villain come down to find the treasure and then have a fight for it. Stakes are brilliantly done and movie ends on a cliffhanger actually. We never see what happens to Gautham and his financial satiation but finally koteeswarudu ayyadu. Also that dialogue sums up his characterization: naaku kaanidhi koti rupailu aina voddu, naadhi annadi adha rupailu kuda voddhulukonu. 

Direction by Yeleti is good. But the villains needed to be written better, the movie needed more entertainment to keep pace consistent which would have helped the movie overall. But due to uneven pacing some parts are really good while others are very slow. I think with a director os his creativity we only expect the best and when it has flaws, we feel a little disappointed. 

Cinematography is by Shyam Dutt is excellent! The movie looks extremely rich and grand and also the color palette is basically brown or white along with blue for night scenes but there’s also red and green and the lighting especially is excellent like the scene where they explain theres a lamp in Sulthan’s house and the light will reflect on it and the same thing happens. Overall it’s a visual wonder  and he did an excellent job in terms of the framing, lighting, and overall color palette. 

Art Direction is MASTERPIECE. Adventure movies are a production designer’s dream and literally all of the sets and props are so good especially the climax all of the levels they created are so well done. The props like the locket, books, bag, diary, keys, Bird statue, everything is so well done. Also the location costing deserves a special mention, The rough terrain of Pakistan is seamlessly blended as Ladakh and you actually believe they’re in Pakistan with all the signs around in Urdu. It’s so well done.