Papam Prathap Review: Neat idea with a handful of laughs

Set in the 1990s in a village in the Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh, the story follows Prathap (Thiruveer), a simple rural man who falls in love with Bujji (Payal Radhakrishna). After having feelings for her for a long time, he finally proposes and marries her. His father (Ajay Ghosh) initially opposes the match but agrees for the sake of his son.

Just three nights into the marriage, things take a shocking turn. While Prathap believes everything is going well, Bujji calls for a village panchayat and publicly declares that her husband has a problem and she cannot continue living with him.

The twist is that Prathap himself has no idea what this problem is.

Determined to find the truth, he tries different ways. He asks his friend to sleep beside him, which does not help. He then brings in a local videographer to record his behavior at night. Only then does he discover the issue he is dealing with.

The rest of the story is about whether Prathap can overcome this problem and win his wife back.

Analysis

Directed by debutant S.P. Durga Naresh, “Papam Prathap” is built on an uncommon premise. A male protagonist dealing with a psychological issue that occurs only during sleep is not something often explored in Telugu cinema. This is not about common problems like sleepwalking or snoring, but something more unusual, which gives the film a fresh starting point. A recent Korean film “Sleep” (2023) has explored a similar issue, but both these movies are completely different.

The director handles the first half reasonably well by not revealing the actual issue early on. This creates curiosity and allows space for situational humor. The portions where Bujji leaves Prathap and the villagers speculate about his problem bring a mix of humor and awkwardness. Some scenes work, while others feel stretched.

However, the film loses focus in the second half. Once the core issue is revealed, the narration becomes slow and repetitive. The story begins to drift, and the lack of tight writing becomes evident.

The idea is fresh, but the execution does not fully match its potential. A more focused and crisper screenplay would have made a big difference here.

Thiruveer delivers a sincere performance and carries the film well. He brings out the innocence and vulnerability of his character in a natural manner. Payal Radhakrishna suits her role and performs convincingly. Avasarala Srinivas, as a psychologist, and Prasad Behara provide decent support.

Ajay Ghosh and Raashi fit well as Prathap’s parents, though Ajay Ghosh tends to overact in some scenes. Goparaju Ramana adds a few humorous moments with his character.

K.M. Radhakrishnan’s music is average and does not leave a lasting impression. The cinematography is decent and captures the village setting effectively. The production design is neat and appropriate.

Editing is one of the major drawbacks. The film feels longer than necessary, and several scenes could have been trimmed. The film goes all over the place.

Bottom Line

“Papam Prathap” has an interesting idea about sleeping issues, and it tries to present it with a mix of humor, but the execution falls short. While the premise and a few comedic moments work, the uneven narration and lengthy runtime reduce its impact. It could have been much better with tighter writing and sharper editing.

Rating: 2.5/5

By TC Staff