Release Date : January 23, 2024
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring: Mohanlal, Anaswara Rajan, Priyamani, Siddique, Santhi Mayadevi
Director: Jeethu Joseph
Producer: Antony Perumbavoor
Music Directors: Vishnu Shyam
Cinematographer: Satheesh Kurup
Editor: V.S. Vinayak
Related Links : Trailer
Malayalam film Neru, starring Mohanlal, is now streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar. The movie is available for streaming in Telugu too. Let’s see how the movie is.
Story:
Sara Mohammed (Anaswara Rajan), a blind girl, gets raped in broad daylight when her parents are not home. Sara is a sculptor by profession through, which she helps Police arrest the criminal. But Sara faces many battles when she takes the legal route, as none of the lawyers come forward to help her. Vijayamohan (Mohanlal), a lawyer who hasn’t handled any trial in a long time, takes up the responsibility. What happened later forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:
Jeethu Joseph’s films are known for their uniqueness. Neru also has such a different point. It is a court drama where Mohanlal fights for a girl who has been raped by a wealthy and influential person. But the girl is blind, and this makes the movie more interesting. As there aren’t any eyewitnesses, the case becomes tricky.
From the moment Mohanlal is introduced, the movie becomes more engaging. The actor delivers a remarkable performance in Neru and, indeed, is one of the best portrayals by a star hero. The impact becomes multifold due to the way Mohanlal portrayed his character in a dignified manner.
Anaswara Rajan, who played the victim, gave a superb performance. The way she exhibited her apprehension makes us root for her. Priyamani, Siddique, and Santhi Mayadevi did complete justice to their roles. The Telugu dubbing is neatly done.
Minus Points:
Though Neru has a touching story, the screenplay could have been more intriguing. Unlike the Drishyam series, the narrative isn’t razor-sharp, and hence, Neru will take time to grow on us. The pacing could have been better as the movie gets slowed down many times.
The court proceedings are a bit confusing at times which is due to the complicated technical jargon. The editing team should have reduced the film’s length a bit. At times, Neru will remind us of other courtroom dramas. Priyamani influencing the witness multiple times in court seemed illogical.
Technical Aspects:
The music by Vishnu Shyam is decent. Though there are only a few locations, DOP Satheesh Kurup does a good job. The court scenes are neatly captured. The production values are adequate, and the editing is below par.
Jeethu Joseph took a good story and touched upon aspects like victim harassment and witness tampering, which generally happen in such cases. These will hold our attention, though the screenplay isn’t fully engaging. Mohanlal’s subtle acting is the best thing about Neru.
Verdict:
On the whole, Neru is a decent courtroom drama with a remarkable performance by Mohanlal. Apart from the sensitive point, the movie also deals with other sub-topics like women empowerment, witness tampering, and victim harassment. The screenplay isn’t as good as Jeethu Joseph’s earlier movies, and the pacing is slow. Though there are shortcomings, Neru is watchable as the attempt is honest.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team