Nani, Mrunal Thakur, Kiara Khanna and composer Hesham Abdul Wahab elevate director Shouryuv’s reaffirming drama of love that conquers everything

Nani, Kiara Khanna and Mrunal Thakur within the Telugu movie ‘Hi Nanna’, directed by Shouryuv
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Some tales urge us to droop our disbelief and give in to their attraction. Destiny and the ability of love drive debut writer-director Shouryuv’s Telugu movie Hi Nanna. This story that introduces us to lovely folks in picture- excellent settings has a couple of nostalgic tropes comparable to a pet canine being a catalyst at essential occasions. It is cinematic however comfortingly acquainted. The main man, actor Nani, portrays a single father, sporting his coronary heart on his sleeve and making us effectively up in tears, and Mrunal Thakur revels within the portrayal of her layered characterisation. Hesham Abdul Wahab’s background rating is a foil to this story that typically sounds inconceivable and calls for that we set our cynicism apart. Does it work? How a lot one enjoys this movie will depend on whether or not we settle for some of the reveals because the narrative progresses and embrace it with its tough edges.

Viraj (Nani) is a star photographer in Mumbai, residing along with his six-year-old daughter Mahi (youngster actor Kiara Khanna) in a home that belongs to structure magazines (manufacturing designer Avinash Kolla and cinematographer Sanu John Varghese whip up an aesthetic visible palette). Viraj’s calendar is choc-a-bloc however he tailors it round his daughter’s necessities. The first couple of minutes give us an thought of him being a hands-on father. Mahi’s small world together with her father, grandfather (Jayaram), pet canine Pluto and Viraj’s good friend and colleague Justin (Priyadarshi) appears to be like almost excellent. However, she is inquisitive about her mom.

Shouryuv begins unpacking Viraj’s previous in a fairytale method, in a format that the daddy makes use of to inform his daughter bedtime tales, and slowly broaches the bittersweet parts. The writer-director hopes that his viewers, too, will patiently hear in and not let the social media-driven short-term consideration span get the higher of them. He places Viraj in a spot by making him narrate his previous within the presence of Yashna (Mrunal Thakur, voice by Chinmayi), who has befriended Mahi minutes earlier. Slowly, the author pulls a couple of tips from his hat. Events main as much as intermission warrant us to embrace a couple of outdated world tropes, significantly about medical circumstances and the play of destiny.

One can both be dismissive about these trajectories or respect how the writer-director makes use of them to point out the contracting personalities in a relationship. If Viraj is all about hope, his spouse has nervousness points that stem from rising up in a damaged house. There are guarantees made, solely to be mocked by future. The girl wallows in grief and guilt whereas the person, additionally in grief, desperately holds on to a silver lining. 

A large portion of the narrative rests on the one father’s resilience. There’s a stunning scene early on between Viraj and his potential mother-in-law enjoying out like a been-there-seen-that state of affairs of highlighting financial variations. Viraj counters her in probably the most emphatic method attainable, making us root for him. Nani makes the writing appear even higher within the method wherein he portrays the dedication and innocence of Viraj who believes in love at first sight and later as the daddy who will transfer heaven and earth for his daughter. This is well Nani’s greatest within the emotional house since Jersey and he could make you effectively up lengthy after leaving the corridor.

Music composer Hesham Abdul Wahab is an enormous asset to the movie. The songs are hummable and nice, however the background rating takes the cake. When the strains of ‘Idhe idhe tholisariga…’ play at totally different factors, it’s not possible to not be moved. He additionally makes use of the calming notes of the waves and silences the place important.

Mahi’s mom’s story unravels by and by. There’s predictability in these parts that present how a powerful romance, regardless of the chinks in its armour, can overshadow everything else. The banter on the seaside and the social gathering tune (that includes Shruti Haasan) really feel overdrawn. More characters are introduced into the fray, like those performed by Angad Bedi and Viraj Ashwin. A cheeky Kuch Kuch Hota Hai reference is thrown in by way of a line uttered on the mandap.

We understand how the story will finish. But within the course of, it’s not simply Viraj and his spouse who get to introspect on their relationship, parenting and future. Jayaram’s understated character gently reinforces the sweetness of love and accountable parenting for the older technology as effectively. 

Mrunal, who’s gorgeously turned out by design, comes into her personal within the last act. After Sita Ramam, this movie offers her a extra complicated character and she steps up, giving it her greatest shot. For Priyadarshi, the friend-colleague half is sort of a stroll within the park. He blends in with ease and in lots of locations, the place he rolls his eyes on the flip of occasions or nudges issues in a sure path, he’s us, the rational viewers questioning the place all of that is headed. Child actor Kiara Khanna holds the drama collectively together with her innocence and vulnerability. 

A couple of minor particulars make the narrative extra genuine. The story that begins in Mumbai, travels again in time to Coonoor and then to Goa, displays the multilingual, multicultural folks of these areas with a smattering of English, Hindi and Tamil.

I want an episode within the last stretch didn’t depend on handy coincidences. One can argue that elite Mumbaikars maintain jetsetting to Goa and it isn’t a shock to search out well-qualified professionals amongst them. Shouryuv drops hints when he introduces sure supporting characters and their occupation. Yet, it got here throughout as filmi. Nevertheless, the narrative has its coronary heart in the appropriate place and hopes that we embrace it regardless of its leaps of religion.

Hi Nanna is a heartwarming story of a father, daughter and the mom combating her demons and believing in love. Such tales don’t exit of vogue, and Shouryuv’s drama is a breather amid larger-than-life motion entertainers.