Cast: Nani, Keerthi Suresh, Tulasi, Posani, Sachin Khedekar, Eswari Rao, Naveen Chandra and others
Director: Trinadha Rao Nakkina
Actor Nani is now in the best phase of his career, his last five films being hits. The latest, Nenu Local, directed by Nakkina Trinadha Rao, was released this Friday, with Keerthi Suresh as the female lead, and top music director Devi Sri Prasad composing the music. Dil Raju, whose Shatamanam Bhavathi remains a great success, is the producer. The plot is fairly routine. Babu (Nani) comes from a middle-class family and has just managed to get through his engineering exams and is wondering what to do next when he meets Keerthy (Keerthy Suresh) and falls in love with her at first sight.
She doesn’t feel the same way though, but he is determined to make her love him. When she finally does, her father (Sachin Khedekar) objects. He is a lecturer and had helped Babu to pass his exam. Father wants her to marry a police inspector (Naveen Chandra). Keerthy loves Babu but tells him he must win over her father first. The film revolves around how the two suitors fight each other to impress the father. The plot is not original; we have seen something on similar lines in Idiot and Arya and in fact, director Trinadha Rao’s earlier film Cinema Choopista Mama is on the same subject, with just the characters changed here, and some entertainment scenes added.
Many of the scenes too resemble those in his earlier films. It’s the entertainment everyone wants, so the director sticks with it. Nani gives a good performance and dominates the film. He has terrific timing and his special dialogue delivery is superb. His character is fun from start to finish. The film will be another hit for him. Keerthy Suresh looks good. Posani Krishna Murali provides a few laughs as Babu’s father. Naveen Chandra as the police officer and Babu’s rival has an important role and plays it well. Sachin Khedekar also impresses as Keerthy’s father.
Devi Sri Prasad, easily the top music director in the industry currently, once again comes out with flying colours. The soundtrack remains interesting and overall, the music is one of the highlights of the film — along with some excellent songs. The dialogue is entertaining and provides some laughs. The cinematography too deserves special mention. Nenu Local is a formula film but it gives the audience a bang for their buck (or paisa vasool, in local parlance). It’s really Nani all the way; he carries the film on his shoulders with his energetic performance and entertaining skills. And it’s certainly a good time for producer Dil Raju too; he is minting money with his recent hit Shathamanam Bhavanti, and Nenu Local looks all set to boost the producers’ revenues.
