Release date : February 19, 2021
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring : Allari Naresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Priyadarshi
Director : Vijay Kanakamedala
Producer : Satish Vegesna
Music Director : Sri Charan Pakala
Cinematography : Sid
Editor : Chota K Prasad
Allari Naresh is trying hard to score a hit and for this, he has changed gears and is ready with his new release Naandhi. The courtroom drama has released today and let’s see how it is.
Story:
Surya(Allari Naresh) is a middle-class software employee who leads a happy life with his parents and fiance. One fine day, he is suddenly arrested in the murder of a noted activist and is sentenced for five long years. This is the time an advocate(Varalakshmi Sarathkumar) enters Surya’s life and gets him out of the jail. The rest of the story is as to how Surya takes revenge on the culprits by filing the Section 211 case. What is this case? and how does Surya uses it to nab the criminals forms the story.
Plus Points:
Naandhi is surely one of the best films in Allari Naresh’s career. Naresh is the king of comedy but whenever he tries different stuff, everyone appreciates it. The noted actor gives one of the best performances of his career and is at his best with his emotional outbursts. He had a difficult role to portray and carrying the emotions for so long is generally tough but Naresh gives an award-winning performance. All the jail scenes where he breaks down surely will move you.
Varalakshmi Sarathkumar has become this sudden superstar in Tollywood and is killing it with every role of hers. She receives superb applause even with her simple entry in Naandhi. If Jayamma in Krack was loud, Varalakshmi is classy and emotes through her strong eyes and body language in Naandhi. She as the lawyer has a solid screen presence and her voice is a big strength for the film.
Comedian Praveen is very good as Naresh’s friend and emotes superbly in key scenes. Priyadarshi was good in his role and so was Srikanth Iyengar as the lawyer. Harish Uttaman, who played the negative cop’s role was also impressive.
The emotions in the film are very strong in the first half and one easily gets connected with Naresh’s pain. The jail atmosphere, court setup, and narration are good during this time. The BGM by Sricharan Pakala is also quite impressive.
Minus Points:
The pace in the second half drops a bit after the engaging first half. The director highlights Section 211 in criminal law and takes the film to another angle altogether. All this is started well but the narration is a bit jaded and things are rushed by the end.
One would expect a gripping courtroom drama after the entry of a lawyer like Srikanth Iyengar. But that does not happen as routine political bigwigs get involved and try to threaten the hero. Such things take center stage and things become a bit routine.
If the director would have narrated the technicalities in section 211 a bit clearer and handled the film in a confrontation mode in the courtroom, things would have been good.
Technical Aspects:
Naandhi has very good camerawork as the jail and court visuals are good. The mood created through the lighting is quite impressive. The editing is decent and so were the dialogues. The production values are very good as the film is shown in a new light.
Coming to the director Vijay, he has done a decent job with the film. He did not deviate the film with commercial elements and stayed true to the emotions. His narration is impressive as he handles the subject in a taut manner and sets up characters nicely. Had he added more gripping courtroom scenes in the latter part, the film would have been effective.
Verdict:
On the whole, Naandhi is a dark and interesting courtroom drama with a good premise. Allari Naresh shocks everyone with his career-best performance and carries the film on his shoulders. Barring a slow second half and a rushed-up climax, this film has impressive performances and ends as a different watch for all those who like serious dramas.
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team