'Nannu Dochukunduvate', starring Sudheer Babu and Nabha Natesh, hit the screens this Friday. Here is our review of the rom-com.
Story:
Karthik (Sudheer Babu) is a boss at a software company. He dreams of going to America.
When he is pushed to marry his maradalu, Karthik lies to his father (Nasser) that he is in love with a girl named Siri. He drafts Meghana (Nabha Natesh) as Siri to fool his father.
But things become messy when she falls in love with him in due course of time but he can see only his dollar dreams. Karthik's inner personality is problematic and the rest of the film is about why he is what he is, and whether he finds true love in Siri.
Analysis:
The story essentially revolves around the lead pair, and the hero's father. In exploring their psyche, the film adopts an engaging style. Karthik's perfunctory and career-obsessed life style has its roots in childhood. The heroine is a happy soul but also has her passions. Nasser is a lonesome old man who hasn't laughed heartily for years.
The entire situational comedy unfolds against the backdrop of the heroine's oddities. She enjoys attention, over-rates herself, and does some things reluctantly for money. Deep inside, she is a girl-next-door who becomes child-like when Karthik's father visits Hyderabad (and it's time for some city tourism). If she is funny, the hero is eccentric in that he is unforgiving towards his subordinates at the office, and can't think of anything other than deadlines and projects.
Comic doses are provided also by the likes of Venu, Prabhas Sreenu, VIVA Harsha and Sudarshan. The trope of youngsters pulling the wool over an elder's eyes is exploited well by director RS Naidu.
The bonding that develops between the lead pair over comically tense moments and the making of a short film is largely engaging. The songs don't transport us to glitzy studios or foreign locations and that is good. Ajaneesh Loknath's songs are a plus for the rom-com portions.
Most of the characters are there for a reason. Tulasi, as the heroine's mother, enters at the right time. Keeping things at a bare minimum, the director avoids unnecessary comedy.
All the while, the hero's grumpiness does seem inexplicable, though. It would have helped had his characterization been done prudently. It seems the writer was looking at presenting him as a total contrast to the heroine, and justify everything with the revelation in the climax. But there is only so much seriousness on the face that you can take.
The mobile phones are intrusive. There are too many calls and you lose the count of number of times Sudheer Babu puts a worried expression while on a call.
The Nabha-Nasser rapport is clichéd, though. Certain scenes come with a superficial heaviness. The short-film comedy should have evolved to the next stage in the second half.
Overall, the performances are a treat, complete with a heroine who gets to speak so much. If Sudheer is convincing as an unhappy professional, Nabha is chirpy. The supporting actors and comedies do a fine job.
Besides music, Suresh Ragutu's cinematography and the editing are impressive.
Verdict:
The film makes a mark with its storyline, situational comedy, and the father-son sub plot that comes to the fore in the climax. Performance and dialogues work. The pace could have been faster.
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