'Nenapirali' film review - a film by Rathnaja

So many younger directors are coming up in Kannada. I think the time has come for some old rogues to give way for enthusiastic newcomers. But the sad thing is that, these newcomers have to straight away start achieving BIGGER things! That's what our people expect & more importantly our Industry demands that. This has made life the miserable to newcomers. Under such immense pressure, they are bit confused and hence don't seem to show-off their actual prowess (they falsely stick to some fixed rules)… But Ratnaja has certainly come up with few answers at least...

1) Firstly, the director has come out of the rubbish formulas of today (Macchu-Longu, Item Songs, Bombay Model-Dolls, Skin-shows, Multiple-meaning dialogues, Remix Songs, screechy Hindi Singers, Remakes, Partial Remakes, Collage Remakes, etc, etc). That's really appreciable...

2) Secondly his Music Sense… Hamsalekha has really come up with a Masterpiece here! My favorite song in the film is "Hey Beladhingale…". That song has beautiful lyrics & music AND is picturized & utilized very well in the film.

3) This film "absolutely" doesn't contain any lip-synch problem whatsoever! This is real achievement by this film's team! Very good lip-synch by all the artistes and good professional dubbing-work by the dubbing artistes! It should have been a real tough-work for them! This difficulty can be totally removed, if they employ live-sound recording… Anyhow, applaud their efforts!!! The film worth screening in USA.

4) Excellent Rerecording by Hamsalekha (Great Background Music). Only a couple of songs have audio-mixing errors. Otherwise rerecording is almost perfect... Camerawork & Editing are not too Special, but are delightful enough...

Overall technically, the film scores 8/10

5) Wonderful acting by Varsha & Vidya Venkatesh. Varsha I guess was a Udaya TV Anchor. She has a beautiful face & good vocabulary skills and a very good smile. I think she can excel, provided she finds more & more opportunities! My thanks to the Director for giving a chance to our local artiste. Vidya Venkatesh has shown good expressions in the matured role. She would have used a dubbing artiste, but certainly has lip-synched very well. These two could be a good bet for the other alleged Kannada Beauties. But Prem Kumar needs to improve a lot. He has the same kind of expression through out the film (the disgusting thing is, the way he expands his nose through out the film). Speaks in the same loud-voice through out the film, even in calm scenes.

6) I will not tell the full story. Because all of you are looking forward to watch this film! I liked the concept very much (A Girl having mixed feelings about LOVE). At once, she thinks LOVE is just there for fulfilling the desires in life. Then, she thinks LOVE is something else stronger than materialistic yearnings. But the story looks bit fragile (The connection between first & second half is almost lost). I felt I was watching a different film in the second half. "Indhu baanigella habba…" is very badly timed (Should have appeared in the first half. But the picturization & locations are good). Even the beautiful "Droupadhi" song was not utilized effectively. But the director is smart enough to utilize the title track in bits & pieces.

7) The Screenplay is not clear (Lack of interconnecting elements). When Kishore tells Ekanth that, Indhu is lying about her parents' desire of searching a groom who is superior to Ekanth… After this, suddenly Ekanth gets married to Indhu. I thought there was scope for emotions here, and this could well have been one connecting link in the screenplay. Then later Ekanth sending Bindhu to Kishore's place… This could have been another link. Both these links are improperly utilized by the director. But the third link, when Bindhu understands Indhu's desire to remarry Kishore, this is utilized better and the song "Hey Beladhingale" carries the movie further. That's the best part of the film… But the ending is somewhat usual & predictable… (seen in many films! That too recently!)

8) The dialogues are long in some places… Could have given more scope to facial expressions (Lack of Close-ups). The dialogue "KaaLaji'goo Kanikara'koo iruva vyathyaasavenu…?" is well penned… But certainly dialogues are not up to the mark unlike AD (This should really impress some AD followers in this forum! But what do you say about the difference in technical aspects, especially lip synch? Nagathihalli & Prem should feel embarrassed looking at this new director's involvement in every department of filmmaking & every frame of the film!)

Art-wise, the film scores 6/10

Overall, the film scores 7/10 (Above Average)

My heart tells this film would be accepted by many people, but mind has some dangerous doubts! Hope I'm proved wrong… Time will tell...

Nenapirali - film review by Ranga

Nenapirali - beLLi thereya mElondu drushya kaavya
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Nenapirali is a clean, superb, musical, family entertainer. The debutant director, talented Rathnaja has lived upto all the expectations and the hype that surrounded him before the release of the movie. There is a refreshing feel attached with this movie, which can only be felt. Combined with the magical lyrics and music of redoubtable Hamsalekha and the top notch camera work by Rama Chandra, Rathnaja takes you through this cool love story between four(or you can say three, in the end) hearts.

It's not the usual run-of-the-mill, running-around-the-trees type love story. Rather it's a movie which tries to find out the meaning of true love, sympathy, care, sacrifice and opportunistic attitude. In the end, it's the true love which wins!

Songs in the films are a virtual feast for eyes as well as the ears. Especially "Olavu ontiyalla", "Droupadi Droupadi(manase maha markata)" and "indu baanigella habba" songs made me to jump with joy. Amazing songs! I am still in the dream world created by those songs.

My personal best song in the movie is 'indu baanigella habba'. The locations in the song and the picturisation is something which is rare to Kannada film industry!

First half of the movie is simply breath taking. Clearly, the credit of the first half goes to the master musician Hamsalekha and the gorgeous heroine Vidya Venkatesh. Full credit to the master Hamsalekha to have given the song 'Manase maha markata'. The heroine Vidhya's feelings are so aptly knitted in the form of words giving a philosophical touch that, Hamsalekha simply rules.

The main hero Prem Kumar's role has been etched really fantastically and the clarity in the views of that character is what strikes you the most. The second half of the movie clearly belongs to the hero Prem Kumar and the lively Varsha. Prem carries through the role with ease and one will really like that character for the sincerity and the compassion associated with it. And, what to say about Varsha?

This beautiful, bubbly actress brings that air of freshness with her. It's a joy watching her.

Akshay Krishna's role is a curtailed one, but still he manages to breath fire into that role. Ananth Nag, Vinaya Prasad, Jai Jagadish, Vijaya Lakshmi Singh and the girl who has played Prem's sister role, have done justice to their respective roles. Sharan provides the much needed comic relief.

The only negative point in the movie is the length of the second half. It drags a bit and brings down the tempo of the first half. Also, the song 'oh beLadingaLe' was un necessary and a real patience tester for the audience. Also, the song Ajantha Ellora comes towards the fag end, much to the surprise of the audience. Easily, some 10-15 minutes could've been trimmed in the second half, in which case, film would've easily fallen into the great movies category.

Climax is also predictable.

Even then, don't worry, go for Nenpirali, it would be one of the best Kannada movies you would've watched in the recent times. Go and enjoy it, since, idu hrudayagaLaa vishaya.