'Ninnu Kori', starring Nani, Nivetha Thomas and Aadhi Pinisetty in lead roles, hits the screens today. Here is our review of what is in store.
Story:
Uma Maheshwar Rao (Nani) is a career-oriented Ph.D student who falls in love with Pallavi (Nivetha Thomas), a mischievous yet lovable girl.
Pallavi tricks his father (Murali Sharma) and brings in Uma as a tenant. Love blossoms further, but this stint as a tenant also gives the lover boy a glimpse into the father's thinking. He decides to build a lucrative career before he can marry Pallavi.
Least does he realize that the girl believes love doesn't afford a second chance.
She moves on. Enter Arun (Aadhi) as Pallavi's dignified husband.
Cut to some future date, Uma is hardly happy. This is when Pallavi takes a tough and positive decision.
What is that decision and how does it change the destinies of the three major characters? What lessons do Uma and Pallavi learn in the process, and how does it all end? Answers to these questions are found in the second half.
Analysis:
It's not like 'Ninnu Kori' concocts a novel point. But since it's rare that coming-of-age love stories are made, this film deserves 'minimum guarantee' certificate at one level.
The prospect of watching how the thinking of two lovers has changed over a period of time is always an enticing proposition. Gautham Menon's 'Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu' stands out in stretching such a line to new lengths. 'Majnu', again a Nani movie, was a formulaic drama in the garb of a triangular rom-com that had no fascinating takeaway.
'Ninnu Kori' is more complete compared to 'Majnu'. It efficiently steers clear of half-baked rom-coms that we get to see these days.
Just as you start worrying that the film might get gloomy, Nani's character comes with a welcome tweak. He turns naughty, and even jocularly mean. The brilliant statistician turns into a suitor, too selfish to see what he is up to. When he goads a couple to go ahead with their divorce plans, his reasoning comes off as progressive thinking, but it could also be anarchic at one level.
All through, Pallavi's behaviour in the second half is generally unambiguous. But, consciously or otherwise, at a couple of places, she is shown to be self-forgetful, as if she were under the hypnotic influence of Uma. Is it meant to be comic relief? Is it mean to be freely interpreted by the audience?
It's good to see a strong female lead who is her own, and knows how to handle things maturely. She is trusted by her husband, she respects constraints that a married life brings. Pallavi is a new-age character for Telugu cinema.
Aadhi as Arun doesn't get to speak much. His is a position of a spectator, sometimes indifferent, sometimes mildly embarrassed (?), sometimes just assured.
Despite the other two characters, who are joined by Murali Sharma and Prudhvi (as a relation), Nani holds his own throughout. He is lively, and seems to carry whole scenes with his comic timing.
Dialogues by debutante director Shiva Nirvana and writer Kona Venkat (who has also screenplayed the movie) are straightforward and avoid melodrama. If dialogues like 'Prema ki pelli avasaram ledhu, kani pelli ki prema avasaram' and 'Mana life eppudu manatho ne untundi, danni ekkada vethukkovalsina avasaram ledu' are theme-oriented, lines like 'Ammayilu anni alavatlu unnodini premistharu, ae alavatlu lenodini pelli chesukuntaru' are meant to play to the gallery.
This is Nani's yet another breeze. The role is his cup of tea. His reaction when Nivetha calls him up just before convocation is the best moment. You root for him then and there. Nivetha is too choosy and it's good. While she is a talented actress without doubt, regular roles will be a joke. Aadhi has a certain gentlemanly poise that is put to thorough use for this role. The bad boy of 'Sarrainodu' is totally distinct here. His full potential is yet to be tapped into by Tollywood.
Murali Sharma and Prudhvi's comedy helps. Tanikella Bharani, Vidyullekha and Sudarshan fit the bill.
Gopi Sunder delivers another musical that is organic and soothing. 'Adiga Adiga' needs no introduction, given its popularity. All the numbers being montage, they are seamlessly woven into the narration.
Karthik Ghattamaneni's cinematography is a huge plus; the visuals are rich and complement the silent aura of the movie. Prawin Pudi's editing is at its usual best.
Verdict:
'Ninnu Kori' has its heart in the right place. Although it is predictable after a point of time, light-veined proceedings sustain interest. Good performances and high-end technical values deliver goods.
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