You can tell that a film takes its comedic ambitions seriously when no subject is too sacred and when everything and everyone can be poked fun at. Such a moment comes early in Located in Subramanyam, 1.7 km from Maruthi Nagar Beach.when a hypochondriac family member suddenly dies. After about 20 frothy minutes, we expect the film to get a little darker during this scene – but writer-director Lakshman Karya has a surprise in store. Even as the grandmother’s body lies there, the father-son duo wallow in absurd self-pity and let their indulgent self-reflection guide them, oblivious to the gravity of the moment. The laughs in this sequence keep mounting, setting the perfect tone for the comic rollercoaster ride that Located in Subramanyam, 1.7 km from Maruthi Nagar Beach. is in its entirety.
Subramanyam (Rao Ramesh) is an unemployed middle-aged man who behaves like the hero of his story. His son Arjun (Ankith Koyya) is an equally good-for-nothing young boy with delusions of a wealthier lineage and a dramatic past. It is Arjun’s mother, Kala Rani (Indraja), who runs the household and she is understandably tired, having carried the domestic responsibilities for over 25 years. But one day, Subramanyam’s luck strikes when he suddenly finds himself a rich man. How Subramanyam deals with this windfall forms the rest of the story.
Located in Subramanyam, 1.4 km from Maruthi Nagar Beach. is so fast-paced that you barely have time to breathe. But more importantly, the film understands the value of consistency – and thankfully, the plot never loses focus. Kudos to Rao Ramesh and Ankith Koyya for carrying the entire film on their shoulders. There are many gags or sequences that could easily fall apart by lesser acting, but the two actors are consistently silly and have a disarming energy. Imagine a situation where you’re crying your heart out, lamenting the loss of something that was never yours. Rao Ramesh sells this silly moment (like many others) in this hilarious farce with great ease.
But it’s not just the witty dialogues and outrageous situations that drive the film forward. Director Lakshman Karya shows an impressive flair for finding humor even in the side plots. During a moment when father and son argue about Arjun’s obsession with being part of the famous Allu dynasty, Subramanyam’s wife Kala Rani quietly walks through the house and finds all the hidden cigarette packets without interrupting the conversation. This creates a great visual synergy and proves the directorial ambitions here.
