Why ‘Su From So’ has gone from under-the-radar Kannada film to a breakout hit

A lot can happen in a week. On July 25, JP Thuminad’s Su From So was released on 13 screens across Karnataka. By the end of seven days, the Kannada film was available on close to 150 screens and had mopped up nearly Rs 16 crore, producer Raj B Shetty said.

“That’s remarkable – it’s a star number associated with superhit films,” Shetty told Scroll. Not only is Su From So continuing to do roaring business in Karnataka, especially in the capital Bengaluru, it has also been dubbed into Malayalam and was released in Kerala on August 1.

Anybody who hasn’t watched Su From So will be startled by the success of a movie with mostly theatre actors and none of the usual blandishments of commercial cinema. Nobody who has watched Su From So will be surprised by the love it has received.

Thuminad’s debut feature, which he has also written, is a rambunctious comedy of manners set in a village in southern Karnataka. The beautifully written, performed and staged movie tucks into a consciously chaotic and absurdist narrative a firm message about the treatment of women.

Ashoka (played by the director) pretends to be possessed by a female spirit in order to get out of an uncomfortable situation. Ravi Anna (Shaneel Gautham), the village’s de facto...

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