Alert, Please Come Out of the Sukumar Formula

Sukumar is one of the most talented filmmakers in Telugu cinema. His unique writing style, raw emotions, strong characters and unusual storytelling have created a separate identity for him. Many young directors have also worked with him and learned his style. But now, some of his former disciples seem to be facing a difficult situation.

There is an interesting thing to be noticed for two former disciples of Sukumar, Buchi Babu Sana and Srikanth Odela. Both directors found success with their debut films. Buchi Babu Sana made a strong impact with Uppena while Srikanth Odela impressed audiences with Dasara. Their debut films gave them a lot of attention and created expectations for their next projects.

However, their second films became major challenges. Buchi Babu Sana's Peddi, with Ram Charan, was expected to take him into the big league. The film had a huge star, a big budget and massive expectations. But the response to the film has raised questions about his story writing and execution. One major criticism is that the film seems to depend heavily on raw emotions and tragedy instead of having a strong story throughout.

Srikanth Odela also received a huge opportunity with The Paradise, backed by Nani and made on a substantial scale. But the film too faced criticism, particularly regarding its writing and execution. This brings up an important question: Should Sukumar's disciples come out of the Sukumar formula?

With Pushpa, Sukumar showed a much more raw and bold side of his filmmaking. His style worked strongly for him. But some of his disciples appear to be taking the same raw approach to an extreme level.

Raw content alone cannot make a film powerful. Strong writing, an engaging story, emotional balance and proper character development are equally important.

Buchi Babu especially needs to think about this before his next film. Depending mainly on a tragic climax or intense raw moments may not be enough. If the story itself is not strong, even powerful scenes may not create the desired impact.

Sukumar's influence can certainly help young directors. But disciples also need to develop their own identity. They should learn from their mentor without becoming completely dependent on his style.

For Buchi Babu Sana and Srikanth Odela, their next films could be an opportunity to show that they have their own voices. It may be time for Sukumar's disciples to come out of the Sukumar formula and find their own story execution style.