Review: ‘Uppu Kappurambu’ finds the comedy in death and burial

In Chitti Jayapuram in Andhra Pradesh, the deceased are not cremated but buried in a designated corner of the village. The cause of death is carved on the tombstone.

The practice stems from a centuries-old prophecy linking burial with protection against famine. Everything is going just fine until the gravedigger Chinni realises that the cemetery is running out of space.

It’s only the latest headache for newly chosen village leader Apoorva (Keerthy Suresh), who is struggling to establish her authority in the teeth of strident opposition from self-declared stud Madhu (Shatru) and aspiring headman Bheemayya (Babu Mohan). Apoorva rallies around, coming up with a sensible solution: why not cremate rather than bury?

Her suggestion has a violent effect on listeners – one faints right away. She organises a lottery for the soon-to-be-dead, which is energetically compered by an entertainer dressed in shocking pink (Vishnu OI). Chinni (Suhas) hopes that his mother Kondamma (Rameswari Talluri) will be on the list.

In Uppu Kappurambu (Salt and Camphor), death, disposal and tradition are taken very seriously, leading to hectic, often laugh-out-loud comedy. Ani IV Sasi’s Telugu film has been premiered on Prime Video. Vasanth Maringanti’s screenplay is knowingly hysterical and hyperbolic.

The film’s cartoonish, slapstick tone takes some getting used to, what with...

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