Movie Review: Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi

Review: Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi

  2.75/5

| | 2018-06-29

CAST

Vishvak Sen, Sai Sushanth, Abhinav Gomatam, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Anisha Ambrose, Simarn Chowdary and others

Director - Tharun Bhasker
Producer - Suresh
Banner - Suresh Productions
Music - Vivek Sagar

Pelli Choopulu fame Tharun Bhasker is back and he chose a buddy comedy as follow up for his blockbuster debut. Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi is a whacky comedy with quirky characters and witty dialogue that is targeted at young crowds. Tharun succeeds in offering few enjoyable trendy jokes, but couldn't make a film that is enjoyable on a whole.

What is it about?

Vivek, Kaushik, Karthik and Upendra are aimless youngsters (Vishvak, Abhinav, Sushanth, Venkatesh) who wants to be successful as short filmmakers. However, they couldn't get over their insecurities and settles in life with some petty jobs. But they come together again when Karthik's wedding is fixed with a rich NRI. However, Karthik loses the expensive wedding ring given by his would-be father in law. Now the gang is forced to make a short film so that they could win the first prize and buy similar ring to save his engagement.

Performances:

Vishvak Sen as Vivek is the hero of the group. He is aggressive but has many insecurities and fears. Vishvak did a good job of carrying this character with multiple emotions. The film belongs to Abhinav Gomatam, who has impeccable comedy timing. He lights up many moments and single handedly shoulders the film during its lows. Sai Sushanth is competent as Karthik, a practical youth. He has some fine moments as Vishvak's close buddy who is aware of his vulnerabilities. Venkatesh gets a good scene to sparkle and he brings the house down with his broken Hindi. Anisha Ambrose is good in a limited role. Simran Chowdary is alright.

Technicalities:

Tharun Bhasker draws inspiration from movies like Dil Chahta Hai and Hangover to make this buddy flick. Coming from a short film background, he keeps it simple without any gloss or flashiness. Despite the limited budget and little-known actors, the film bears a style that makes it look technically rich. Tharun's vision and presentation make it an engaging in spite of lack of proper script. He shines as a dialogue writer, which turns out to be the major highlight of the movie. Pelli Choopulu director does try to offer something different yet again, but he didn't have a strong script on hands to make it a complete entertainer.  

Vivek Sagar's background score is good. Soundtrack is okay but not impressive. The cinematography is superb and so is the production design. Editor leaves a mark with his brilliant work in the high-speed shots. Production values are decent.  

Thumbs Up:

Dialogues

Abhinav's comedy

Thumbs Down:

Weak content

Dragging second half

Analysis:

The theme of Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi is very familiar. It is about confused youngsters who don't know what to do in their life to be happy. Here the protagonists are wannabe short filmmakers, who end up in wrong jobs, but finally come together to do what they always wanted to do. Director Tharun Bhasker deals this regular theme in a different way. He takes an unconventional approach in dealing with a familiar theme. There are some noticeable influences of films like Hangover, but the stamp of his own is evident in every scene. Characters are well etched and the dialogue is on the mark. There are numerous funny conversations, friendly banter, and the bar episodes that are relatable to today's youth.

However, ENE is not a universal youth film like Happy Days. It appeals to a section of youth who has short film background and aspirations to become filmmakers. The first half of the film is enjoyable with the character introduction and their entertaining back story. Intermission episode sets high expectations on the second half as the gang lands in Goa. But it turns out to be a huge drag with little content and forced humor. Neither the process of making a short film nor the short film itself seems funny. It is all about the gang realizing where their happiness lies. Except for a couple of hilarious scenes, second half bores with redundant situations that don't add any value to the proceedings.

Tharun Bhasker heavily relies upon the dialogue to save the day whenever there is no content in the scene. It is enjoyable at times, but the lack of content sticks out like a sore thumb. There are bright spots leaving the mark of a brilliant director, but they are very few and far between. The ending is predictable right from the beginning of the story and Tharun couldn't do much about it. The ending is underwhelming in spite of a cameo from Vijay Deverakonda. Unconventional approach of the director may appeal to a section of youth and the lovers of quirky comedy, but the lack of content and engaging screenplay will limit its reach on the box office front.

The humor makes up for its flaws to an extent, but most of the comedy seems to be forced and certain gap filler. Director should have written a tight screenplay than simply creating episodes to fill in the two hours runtime. Even the music is not instantly appealing, which is another shortcoming for a film with limited appeal. On a whole, Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi is a different attempt from Pelli Choopulu director that offers some hearty laughs. That's about it.

Verdict: Ee Nagaramlo Content Ledandi!

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