It’s Nani all the way…

Coming up with a paisa-vasool kind of film is the dream of every commercial film director, who has a lot to prove in the industry always. Of course, a lot needs to be done for this wish to turn into a reality by everyone concerned, from the lead pair to the artistes who play minor roles on-screen.

Leading them all, one does definitely need a charismatic and a sure-shot crowd puller who can keep the audience hooked till the dying moments of the film, diverting their attention from the real and perceived weaknesses of the screenplay and direction for that period.

Here is where, in what can surely be considered an enviable track record, Nani, with his neighbourhood boy looks has managed to keep the cash counters ringing, film after film, over the past two and more years.

Positioning himself as a typical, affable kind of a young man with an image of a no- gooder turning the achiever, this normal-looking hero has amassed a sizeable following among the youngsters today. The proof of which was the screaming lot of 20-somethings who shouted themselves hoarse throughout the movie, ‘Nenu Local’, the star’s latest release.

Playing the role that he is good at – a loser who does not having anything special for him to be sought after, yet, pulling off unbelievable tasks, the ‘local’ lad falls in love, stalks his girl (Keerthy Suresh) like crazy (calling it ‘disturbance’) and manages to woo her into submission, as can be predicted. The first stumbling block to his love is the heroine’s father, Sachin Khedekar, who has had his own brushes with the brat in the past.

Once when things start warming up in the boy’s favour, the girl has one more competitor, a cop to boot (Naveen Chandra) whom the ‘sanskari’ father lovingly approves as a future son-in-law.

True to Telugu film tradition, from here on the film moves on as a cat-and-mouse game between the two suitors, with a helpless heroine shuttled between two heavy-duty romantic types. Moving away from too much action sequences, yet using them appropriately to showcase the hero’s fighting skills, the director Trinadh Rao Nakkina builds a good momentum, effectively exploiting the timing and light-hearted performance skill of the hero. The climax block is engrossing, though not entirely unexpected for its surprising pop-ups of characters.

Devi Sri Prasad seems to have returned to form of sorts, beginning with the Chiru flick and continuing his good work in this venture too. Keerthy marks her presence, with typically sweet expressions, a trademark from her earlier releases in Tamil and Telugu and seems to be already a popular name in the industry. This movie may add to her list of hits, along with the golden run of Nani who is in a zone of his own for sure.

Film Name : Nenu Local

Cast : Nani, Naveen Chandra, Keerthy Suresh and Sachin Khedekar
Direction : Trinadh Rao
Genre : Romance-action
Likes : Racy narrative
Dislikes : Same old twists and turns