Cast: Gopichand, Hansika, Catherine Tresa, Chandra Mohan, Mukesh Rishi, Sachin Khedekar, Seetha and others
Director: Sampathi Nandi
After three consecutive successful films, director Sampathi Nandi has teamed up with Gopichand for film Gautham Nanda. Gopichand last two films didn’t do well, so this film was a chance to prove himself. This how the film’s story goes. Gautham (Gopichand) is a son of a billionaire (Sachin Khedekar). The rich brat has been enjoying his life with parties and friends until an incident at a pub ch-anges everything. This ma-kes him question who he is. Nanda (also played by Gopichand) is from a lower middle class family, which lives in a slum. Fed up with his life, he decides to die bumping into a speeding vehicle. As any movie watcher can predict, Nanda chooses to die in front of Gautham’s vehicle.
Predictably, as you could find in any typical film, both men, who are dissatisfied with their lives, end up talking to each other. As each of them was dying for something that the other person had, they decide swap their lives — an age-old plot in most Indian films dealing with twins. Sampathi introduces a new twist in the story as somebody tries to kill Gautham, the one who volunteered to experience poverty, along with his family. Who is the one who wants to kill Gautham, and why he wants to kill him form the crux of Gautham-Nanda. Though Sampathi tries to bring in something new, he failed miserably. While his other films were hits, one can’t say if this would continue the trend.
This film lacks originality though it can boast of a couple of good scenes and rich visuals. While dialogues are interesting and some are thought-provoking, the story is bland and is too predictable. The director takes long to introduce the lead characters, making the film tedious and boring. Gopichand might have accepted the film because it allowed him to play a dual role. Though he performed well, he was let down by a poor story. Of the two female leads, Catherin Tresa has performed well, and looks glamorous. Hansika is dull and not suited for the role of a girl who lives in a slum. Cinematography by Soundar Rajan stands out. Music, including background score, by S.S. Thaman, is impressive. On the whole, Gautham Nanda offers nothing new and may not be liked by the multiplex audiences.
