Naruda DONORuda - Movie Review

What’s it about!

Dr Anjaneyulu (Tanikella Bharani), a fertility specialist, is looking for a sperm donor whose strike rate is high. He guesses that Vikram aka Vicky (Sumanth), a handsome youngster from Hyderabad, can be his best bet. He follows him, persuades him till Vicky finally gives in to earn some quick money. It turns out that Vicky’s sperm count is as good as the doc guessed. Meanwhile, Vicky, who lives with a widowed mother and a grandmother who run beauty parlour for living, finds his love interest in Ashima Roy (Pallavi), a divorced Bank employee. She is a Bengali. Initially, both sides don’t accept this alliance but they finally give in. After few months of the marriage, their life comes crashing down as Ashima has a health issue and Vicky past is revealed.
 
Analysis
‘Vicky Donor’ (2012) starring Ayushman Khurana and Yami Gautham won National Award for providing wholesome entertainment. The film won great appreciation from critics for the way the subject of sperm donation is handled with dash of humor and emotionality. The basic conflict – what happens if a sperm donor who is the reason for happiness in many childless couples lands in same predicament? The basic idea is so good and can be remade in any language without any fuss.
 
So, “Naruda Donaruda”, the Telugu version of the movie, should be equally as good as the original was! At least, we assume it to be so. Unfortunately, the Telugu version, directed by newcomer Mallik Ram, counts low on all fronts. The very beginning of the movie off sets our mood with its loud dialogues and cheap production values. After initial hiccups, the movie comes into groove and then it goes on smoothly with enjoyable proceedings till the interval. So far so good. Trouble begins from interval episode, the story and screenplay goes ups and downs with many lengthy and unnecessary scenes. 
 
The Bengali versus Telugu episode and the marriage scenes are stretched beyond limit. The confrontation scene between Sumanth and heroine Pallavi after she realizes his past is handled amateurishly.
 
Also the scene of police raiding Sumanth’s house for keeping black money is illogical. The scene should have been conceived better. 
 
The main problem of the movie is that even though the story is loyal to the original movie, the execution lacks deftness, or sensitivity. It seems entire film is completed in Annapurna Studios and its roads. Today short films are having better production and technical values than this movie!
 
Although Tanikella Bharani and Sumanth (to some extent) have tried to infuse some energy into this movie, the film still looks drab. Music is another drawback. The writing has touch of homour, some dialogues are pretty good but overall they don’t add much value. Cinematography and artwork is plain.
 
Among the cast members other than Tanikella and Sumanth, Sri Lakshmi as Sumanth’s mother is good. Suman Shetty is okay. New director lacks experience in handling such sensitive movies. 
 
Bottom-line: ‘Naruda Donoruda’ counts low on all aspects from “production” values to “performances” of the actors. Except Tanikella Bharani, none of the actors impress with their acting. Though the movie is faithful to the story of the original Hindi movie ‘Vicky Donor’, the same essence is not felt in this remake. Lost in adaptation!