Manu
Cast: Raja Gautham, Chandini Chaudhary, Aberam Varma and others.
Director: Phanindra Narsetti
Short filmmaker Phanindra Narsetti made his debut with Manu that stars Raja Gautham (son of top comedian Brahmanandam). The story is set on an island that seems to be devoid of modern technology. Manu (Raja Gautham) is a painter who lives alone. Neela (Chandini Chaudhary) is living with her father. To convey her love for Manu and his paintings, she sends him letters with clues, but never reveals herself.
Meanwhile, Neela’s father is killed by three of his friends for a diamond and an unknown person follows Neela for gold and money. Neela’s life is in danger and Manu wants to help her. The crux of the story is how the two take revenge on her father’s killers.
Debutant Phanindra is a short filmmaker who has chosen a very difficult subject. The film doesn’t fall in the thriller or revenge drama categories. Attention to the technicalities of the film has led to the subject being sidetracked. In the end, the plot is lost and the film ends up being a weak one.
The pro’s are the visual excellence of each scene and good background music. The love track between the lead pair is similar to the Telugu writer Yandamuri’s novels. Gautham has given an honest performance. Chandini has done justice to her role. The support cast, comprising new actors, has acted well. But the lack of proper narration renders the plot weak and unappealing. All the technical brilliance goes to waste. The slow narration and the subplots don’t help. The climax isn’t believable either.
An interesting plot and good screenplay could have perhaps salvaged this film. While Manu starts off on a promising note, the director hasn’t been able to see it through till the end.
