Ninnu Kori - Movie Review

What's it about?
The story revolves around three prime characters Uma Maheshwara Rao (Nani), Pallavi (Nivetha Thomas), and Arun (Aadhi Pinishetty). Uma, who is doing research in statistics in Andhra University in Vizag, loves Pallavi. Their romance ends when Uma realises that her father cannot give her hand to him until he settles with a good job. So, he moves to Delhi to complete his course. In the meantime, Pallavi's father marries her off to Arun (Aadhi Pinishetty). One and half years later, Pallavi comes to know that Uma is in USA and drowning himself in alcohol not to forget her. She reaches him and invites to her home to see how happy she is with her husband. Her husband Arun who is aware of her old love story with Uma agrees to her plan and lets him to stay in their house for ten days. Hoping to win Pallavi's love back, Uma steps in. Can he take her back?

Analysis
The storyline of 'Ninnu Kori', director Shiva Nirvana's first film, is delicate one - a married woman getting in contact with her former lover again and inviting him to her home. The twist is her husband knows her love story and he agrees with her plan that if her lover sees how happy life they are leading he might erase her memories forever and lead a life of his own.

For any screenplay writer or director, it is a tough line to handle in the Indian context and ethos. The screenplay is written in matter that would make audiences to think that it may daringly go different in the end. New director Shiva Nirvana and Kona make
us to guess how would it end. Even though Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam" largely inspires the film, the angle of heroine inviting her former lover to stay in her house for ten days has made it different and also interesting.

There can never be second chance in love, says Nivetha's character. "Life gives us many chances, we don't use them properly, why shouldn't give a chance to the life," says Nani. The central theme runs on these two points.

The film starts off slowly but it picks up the momentum as it goes towards the interval. But the real worth of the movie lies in its fun banter between the characters, and emotional ending. As the storyline is thin and the conflict is revealed very early in the movie, there is not enough material to exploit in the middle portion of the story. Hence the director has narrated with some lighter scenes.

Downside is many sequences are from old movies. The romance in the first half is awkwardly cliched.

The remarkable aspect of 'Ninnu Kori' is the simplicity and also performances. Nivetha Thomas (this is her second film in Tollywood) has given a matured performance and steals the show completely. By now, Nani has proved that he can shine in any character. He uses his charm here. But Nani should realise that he is slowly getting typecast in his own forte. Aadhi Pinishetty, whose character reminds us of Ajay Devgan's in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', adds value to this romantic drama with his outburst in the end.

Murali Sharma and Prudhvi have added good laughs.

On technical front, BG score by Sunder turns out to be an asset though songs are not that catchy. He brings out the emotion of the movie in the background music. Karthik Gattamaneni's fine camerawork can be seen again. The movie has slow pace, which is a huge minus. Production values are good.

As a storywriter and director, Shiva Nirvana in his very debut movie has shown a mark. He seems to be very sensible. As a writer Kona Venkat has shown his other side as he has come with realistic dialogues and screenplay is also good.

Bottom-line: 'Ninnu Kori' is a well-told and well-acted matured love story. More than the story, the moments score. Nivetha's performance, final sequences and BG score are strength in this film that has resemblance to Bhansali's old Bollywood hit. Sensible narration makes it a good watch.