Nayeem Diaries review: Fantastic story, unaffecting film

2/5

Story:

Nayeemuddin, a Bhongir native, joins a naxal group right in childhood, dedicating his life to their cause, and grows up to hate the establishment and the police force. He eventually kills Jagannadha Sharma, the DIG of Hyderabad, in broad daylight at a sports stadium and surrenders soon. He receives a warm welcome from his fellow naxal in-mates in the prison but differences crop up among them with their shabby response to an issue pertaining to Nayeem's sister Zareena. How does Nayeem take a U-turn to be a covert for the cops and even help them derail the Naxalite movement in the region?

Review:

The story of real-life naxal leader, criminal Mohammed Nayeemuddin, was always begging to be made into a film. From being a naxal sympathiser to turning a covert for the cops to his emergence as a land mafia kingpin to meeting his end at the hands of the police force, Nayeem's life takes intriguing twists and turns, ripe with potential to translate into an affecting film. It's a subject that could've worked wonders with someone of Ram Gopal Varma's calibre. Nayeem Diaries, probably the first-ever feature based on Nayeem's life, though struggles to use its subject effectively.

The film could've been a fine opportunity to be a hard-hitting reflection of the brutal ways of the establishment but the director Daamu Balaji fails to utilise the dramatic potential in the story with the hurried execution. The sequences are staged poorly sans any emotional impact; everything is verbose, spelt out, while the casting is inept, so are the performances and the filmmaking. Right from the slang to the backdrop and the dialogues, very little about Nayeem Diaries feels authentic to the setting. 

It's easy to mistake Nayeem Diaries as a Kannada film given the absence of any familiar Telugu faces. Unlike recent biopics, Nayeem Diaries doesn't use the film to whitewash Nayeem's image or glorify him but claims that he was a victim of circumstances on occasions more than one. The film portrays the many double standards within the naxal groups well, especially with the supposed-disciplinary actions if any of the members go astray. 

Nayeem loses it when the group fails to punish a naxal leader Eedanna, who molests his sister Zareena. Instead, he has to face the music from the group leaders when Eedanna is brutally murdered later (by Nayeem's brother). The filmmaker devotes abundant time to showcase the clash of egos, the internal conflicts within the naxal groups, politics within prisons, though his intent doesn't translate into many engaging sequences. 

It's hard to invest in characters whom you feel nothing for, especially Nayeem's family and his initial love interest Latha. On most occasions, the actors are just reading out their dialogues with almost no effort to emote. The transformation of Nayeem from a naxal leader to a cold-blooded criminal too is effective only in parts. The filmmaker is still careful in his attempt to maintain a neutral tone in the portrayal of Nayeem; it's just that most of his scenes lack spunk in execution and appear too simplistic.

Nayeem Diaries suggests that it's Nayeem's bloated ego, impulsive nature and hasty decision-making that paved the way to his downfall. The film makes no bones to highlight how the establishment uses Nayeem as a pawn in their political game and dumps him when his ruthless ways get a little-too inconvenient for those in power. The climax is handled sensitively, where Nayeem gracefully accepts his end but is also distraught to experience betrayal from those people whom he considered his well-wishers in the past.

The action sequences are a mixed bag - the silver lining is the second hour where Nayeem hatches a plot to kill many naxal bigwigs in the middle of dense forests. The romantic track between Nayeem and Ayesha feels like a desperate attempt to titillate audiences. A fair chunk of the damage is due to the shabby editing too. The film lacks coherence from scene to scene; several links to the story and characters are amiss. Music has always been an integral dimension of the Naxalite movement and it's disappointing how the film never uses it as a tool to take the story forward. 

Vasishta Simha certainly has the screen presence and the edginess to play Nayeem, but the dialogue delivery remains an area of concern. Devi Prasad is good in a supporting role, though Yagna Shetty's part as Zareena could've been established better. Samyuktha Hornad makes no impact in the role of a naxal sympathiser gifted with an ability to sing. Divi Vadthya doesn't have much to do in an insignificant character. Sasi Kumar's portrayal as a cop would've benefited with an air of aura and charisma. 

Verdict:

Nayeem Diaries is a lost opportunity to tell a good, hard-hitting story. Inept casting, unimpactful performances and amateurish filmmaking drown its potential. Vasishta Simha has it in him to pull off lead roles but only if he chooses the right team to deliver the goods.