I think before going into the nitty-gritty of what happened in the film, we have to give full marks to whosoever decided the very quirky and creative title, i.e., Su From So. You will be surprised to know that it is short for Sulochana From Somesharwa, something that I never expected. I guess in broad strokes the film could be divided into 2 parts: the first part, where we are introduced to intriguing and humorous characters who offer a vivid glimpse into the cultural fabric of a rural and scenic place like Marlur, and then the second half, where things get a little intense, revealing the deeply entrenched patriarchy that corrodes the seemingly lovely and vibrant social landscape. I did think that the central plot of the film seemed a bit superficial and rather convenient, especially because of the way it was executed. Yes, it was a social comedy, but the first half really amped up my expectations.
But credit has to be given to the writers for creating such amusing characters, so much so that even the character of an old man, who couldn’t see properly and who showed up on screen for less than a minute, left a huge impact. Every character conveys something substantial to the audience, and you get a fair idea about the kind of world they exist in. I want to see more films like Su From So being made in our country. It’s a testament to the fact that we can do so much better, especially when it comes to the comedy genre. I do not have any issues with indulging in brainrot for mindless entertainment, but these days, it has become a convenient cover-up for masking poor writing and bad creative choices. And that happens only when a bunch of writers and production houses underestimate the understanding of their audience and feel that they can be wooed by such poor films. That said, let’s find out what happened in the film, and why you definitely shouldn’t miss out on Su From So for the world.
Spoiler Alert
Did Ashoka get possessed by an evil spirit?
The people of Marlur formed a tight-knit community, and Ravi Anna, one of the prominent personalities there, was respected and admired by almost everyone. And why wouldn’t he be? He was one of two people who owned a two-wheeler in the village, and that was an achievement in itself. Whenever anybody was in need, they went to Ravi Anna. There were some, like Yadhu Anna, who was also a key member of the village council, who at times got a bit jealous of the kind of respect Ravi Anna got. But then he couldn’t do anything about it, as the people loved him. He stood there with everyone through thick and thin. He was illiterate, but everyone in the village listened to his opinions. One time, after a wedding celebration, a man was caught peeping into the washroom of a village household, where an elderly woman was bathing, and it became a major controversy. The man who peeped had been able to escape, and so Ravi Anna was called in to handle the matter. That young man who peeped was named Ashoka, and he was hiding near the house when Ravi Anna arrived at the scene. He overheard the villagers talking about getting the fingerprints from the wall and informing the police about it. Ashoka got paranoid as he felt that if the police were able to retrieve the fingerprints, he would be in trouble. Ashoka was a painter by profession, and so once everybody left, he went back to scrape the wall and erase his fingerprints. This time around, he wasn’t able to make an escape. Two men chased and caught him, and that’s when the entire drama began. Ashoka started acting out because he was paranoid that his life would be ruined, but those two men took his behavior for something else. They felt that an evil spirit had possessed him. The moment Ashoka heard that, he knew that if he acted well, then he would have an excuse for his actions. So the man started his drama, and fortunately for him, the villagers bought his lies.
How did Ashoka and Ravi help Bhaanu out?
The entire village came to check on Ramesh Anna’s son as the news of him being possessed by an evil spirit spread like a wildfire. At first, Ravi Anna tried to handle the issue by himself, but Ashoka acted out, and he ended up slapping the man, just so that his performance was believable. Nobody could dare to lay a finger on Ravi, but there he was, helpless, because apparently it was not Ashoka who had hit him, but the evil spirit. A fraud exorcist, Karunakara, who was desperate to earn some money, was called in to deal with Ashoka and find a solution. Karunakara used to appear on a TV show, where I believe he pretended to be some kind of psychic/astrologer. But then he was fired from his job, and he didn’t have any means to earn his livelihood. He gave Ashoka’s father tips on how to expel the evil spirit from him, which included rolling him on burning coals and making him have the most disgusting slush. Ashoka vomited his lungs out after consuming that slush, and he realized that he had had enough. He knew that before the villagers killed him, he needed to stop with the drama. He started praying the next morning and told his parents that he was feeling fine. But then he found himself in such a situation where the villagers were convinced that he was still possessed. It was the fears that played on their minds, which allowed their superstitions to triumph over reason. Soon, the exorcist came to the conclusion that the ghost was of a woman named Sulochana from Someshwara, a theory that had no basis. It came to be known that Sulochana had passed away some 5 years back, and that her daughter lived alone in the ancestral house. The daughter, Bhaanu, was abused on a daily basis by her own uncle. Her uncle, Gopala, who had kids of his own, got drunk every other day and molested her. The patriarchal society was such that nobody believed Bhaanu’s side of the story, and in fact, they branded her as a characterless woman. It came to be known that Ravi Anna and Bhaanu were supposed to get married, but the former’s family had rejected her because, apparently, she was too fat at that time. Ravi Anna was not proud of that fact, but I believe he didn’t have a say at that time. After visiting her, he was attracted to her.
Bhaanu talked to Ashoka like she would with her own mother. The others wanted to get rid of the ghost, whereas Bhaanu wanted her to stay so that she could confide in her and tell her all that she had to endure. One time, things became so bad at Bhaanu’s house that she had to escape to save her life. Her uncle was trying to force himself on her, and she didn’t know who to ask for help apart from her own mother. In a gut-wrenching scene, she told Ashoka, believing him to be possessed by her late mother, to stay a bit longer, as she needed her. Ashoka felt guilty, firstly for the fact that he had also objectified women in the past, and secondly, he was moved by the kind of torture Bhaanu had to endure. Ashoka decided that he would use the misunderstanding to his and Bhaanu’s advantage. He decided to dress up like Sulochana and teach Gopala a lesson. Ashoka, clad in a saree, rode off on Ravi Anna’s scooter, and the entire village just stood dumbfounded by what they saw.
In Su From So’s ending, Ashoka finally taught Gopala a lesson, and then even Ravi Anna came to help his cause, once Gopala’s friends attacked him. Ravi Anna declared that he was taking Bhaanu to his village, and he told Gopala and his friends that they could do whatever they wanted to. Even then, I don’t think Gopala felt ashamed for the horrible things he had done. I wouldn’t be surprised if his friends validate his actions and he once again sets off down the same path of debauchery and immorality.
What Happened In The Post-Credit Scene?
When the question arose as to how Bhaanu would stay in the village when she was unmarried, Ravi Anna once again rose to the occasion. He got a chance to redeem himself and to correct the wrong he’d had a hand in. He told the villagers that he would get married to Bhaanu, not out of sympathy, but out of respect for who she was. Bhaanu and Ravi were attracted to each other, though they had not expressed their feelings because an orthodox society does not give you the freedom to do that. Su from So is a take on how deep-rooted misogyny and patriarchy are in society. In the post-credit scene, we saw that Ashoka, sometimes, when he wanted to take advantage of whatever had happened and to have his way, still made people believe that he was possessed. In a funny incident where one of his friends reminded him about the 2000 rupees he had taken from him, Ashoka scared him and pretended to still be possessed. In another scene we saw that Ravi Anna was rather amazed when he found out that Bhaanu was educated and could read and write, probably better than him. It told us how unjust the society was, revealing how a woman believed that it was a privilege to have her voice acknowledged. Things that were fundamental rights of every human being felt like an anomaly when it came to a woman. People like Ravi were a godsend in a prejudiced society that didn’t allow a woman to even breathe, probably. Bhaanu knew that, which was why she thanked her stars for being married to such a man.
