Nenu Meeku Baaga Kavalsinavaadini review: Tepid execution of an intriguing idea

2/5

Story:

Teju(Sanjana Anand) is an alcoholic who uses a cab to return to her house daily. Vivek(Kiran Abbavaram), a cab driver helps her out, to whom, she discusses her past. On the way back home, Teju narrates her story to Vivek. Vivek reveals his love story to Teju in the latter hour. What connects these love stories? Who is Vivek?

Review :

One of the biggest assets of Nenu Meeku Baaga Kavalsinavaadini is the music by Mani Sharma. All the songs are peppy, shot quite well. Veteran director SV Krishna Reddy does a small role and he’s passable while he lasts. The second half has a proper story and there is some flow in the proceedings. The comedy scenes featuring Baba Bhaskar and Kiran evoke a few laughs. Baba Bhaskar’s dialogue delivery is hilarious.

Kiran Abbavaram is a major attraction for the film. In a massy avatar, he packs a punch with the action sequences. He also dances well and his dialogue delivery shows improvement, which suits the mood of the film well. The other female lead Sona Thakur is effective in her role. The family scenes in the second hour are just okay. The basic plot is neat but is let down by the poor narration.

The director Sridhar Gadhe lacks clarity and his narration is far from gripping. The film takes too long to arrive at its main conflict point and by then, you barely have the interest to sit through it. The heroine narrates her story in the first half and the hero does the same in the second. Much time is devoted to these love stories and there’s hardly any time left for the other romance to unfold convincingly.

With a simple sequence, the conflict is resolved and the film ends and all this looks quite rushed. The film was projected as a family drama but there is no proper drama depicting family emotions. The main lead, Sanjana Anand has a key role but her weak screen presence doesn’t complement her performance. The production values are impressive and the presentation is grand and colourful.

The dialogues are catchy and the production design impresses. The cinematography stands out in the second half. Much like his earlier film, director Sridhar Gade messes up with his sketchy execution of an interesting storyline. He focuses more on love stories which are bland sans any emotional connect. Had the love stories been briefer and crispier, the family drama and love between the lead pair have been registered more impactfully.

The film neither does justice to the family drama nor emotions or romance. The climax is the final nail in the coffin.

Verdict:

On the whole, Nenu Meeku Baaga Kavalsinavaadini is a romantic family drama devoid of strong emotions. The music and comedy sequences are good in parts but the tepid narration spoils the show. The film has nothing new to offer.