A breezy, self-aware rom-com

E live in times where we are constantly distracted by memes, reels and everything on social media.

- BH HARSH

E live in times where we are constantly distracted by memes, reels and everything on social media. Very few among the current generation, while stuck in this addictive relationship of perennial stimulation, however are familiar with the phenomenon of appointment viewing, a brief period of time everyday when we project all our inner desires and frustrations onto a fictional, garish TV show, before going back to reality — a phenomenon that overpowered our popular culture till just a few years ago before internet became commonplace. Even more oddly, very few films and shows have attempted to capture the sub-culture. Praveen Kandregula's Subham, produced by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, does that with great humour and precision.

There are little ways in which Subham captures the impact of popular TV on our imaginations, while satirising the TV industry itself. How the soap operas sell us on dazzling outfits, even amidst depressing story arcs. The opening scene — where a half-dead woman comes back to life to yell at the TV screen — is a stroke of pure genius. But it's not just the influence of TV shows that this film focuses on. Under one's need for escapism lies a gaping hole in their personal lives, and under the soap opera addiction lies a yearning for love, companionship, and respect — something most Indian women miss in their lives. Praveen, who previously made the much-acclaimed Cinema Bandi, hits the point home with subtlety, yet lot of impact — and a huge credit goes to writer Vasanth Maringanti.