Going away from his comfort zone, Allari Naresh attempts a serious subject this time with Naandhi. Written and directed by debutante Vijay Kanakamedala, Naandhi features Allari Naresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Priyadarshi Pulikonda, and Praveen in prominent roles. A protégé of director Harish Shankar, Vijay Kanakamedala was able to convince director Satish Vegesana with his script that made him turn producer. Let us see if Allari Naresh was able to engage the audience in this serious plot that follows the life of an undertrial prisoner awaiting judgment.

A hard-hitting realistic story

Surya Prakash (Allari Naresh) is a middle-class bachelor who gets a decent job in a software company. His wedding gets fixed with Meenakshi (Navami), the girl of his life, and books a flat on the same day. When everything is going well for Surya, things take a drastic turn. He gets implicated by ACP Kishore (Harish Uthaman) on charges of murder of a social activist Rajagopal. Though he pleads innocent, the case goes on for years and Surya serves imprisonment as an undertrial for 5 years. Then enters lawyer Aadya Mullapudi (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar). She takes up the case to grant bail for Surya and prove him innocent. Will she succeed?

A lot of awards await Allari Naresh

While we know Allari Naresh more as a comedy hero, there is certainly another brighter angle of his acting abilities. He has given an intense and gritty performance making the audience forget that he was a comedy actor. In fact, after a few minutes into the movie, the viewers get into the skin of Surya Prakash. Except for one comic thread that comes in the flashback with the heroine, you won’t find any comic scenes written for Allari Naresh. He pulled it off seamlessly and will be a major contender for any awards. The other show puller was Varalaxmi Sarathkumar. She gets a meatier role and excelled beyond expectations. Praveen gets a lengthy role and was good in the final emotional episodes and Priyadarshi performed well. Harish Uthaman as a corrupt cop gives a matured performance. Rest of the actors performed their parts well.

A good debut for Vinay Kanakamedala

Vinay Kanakamedala makes a fantastic debut with Naandhi. He gets everything right. Starting from the script to the casting and technical crew, he exhibited his talent with finesse. He narrated a story that he wanted to tell in the most engaging manner one could expect. Sricharan Pakala’s music and background score are amazing and he proves yet again that he is a master in crime thriller genres. Visuals by Sid are captivating and editing by Chota K Prasad is neat. Brahma Kadali’s art direction is realistic. With director Satish Vegesana turning into a producer, every penny spent is visible on the screen.

WATCH OR NOT

Naandhi is a hard-hitting crime thriller packed with splendid performances and engaging writing. The movie deals with Section 211 of the IPC and the realistic tone does wonders. While there are few cinematic liberties in the latter half, Naandhi is a must-watch movie.

Director: Vijay Kanakamedala
Writer: Vijay Kanakamedala and Abburi Ravi
Cast: Allari Naresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Priyadarshi Pulikonda, Harish Uthaman
Music: Sricharan Pakala
Background score: Sricharan Pakala
Cinematography: Sid
Language: Telugu

Playing in cinemas