Plot:
The story unfolds in two contrasting backdrops. The first one is an enclosed dungeon-like place where Vivek (Varun Sandesh) has held hostage a roster of men. His captives are well-networked as well as those belonging to the working class.
The other backdrop is Kandrakota, a village in Andhra Pradesh where Balraju (Chatrapathi Shekar) is waiting to be hanged to death after his conviction in the murder of a young woman. What unites the two tracks? What is Vivek up to? Why has he kidnapped men from different professional backgrounds, all of whom have a strong Kandrakota connection? The story progresses as it answers these questions.
Telugu Funda’s take on the performances:
- Varun Sandesh: This is not the comeback he might have been looking for. The scripting is too subdued for him to shine through.
- Chatrapathi Sekhar: He is not at all nuanced.
- Annie, Tanikella Bharani: Fit the bill.
- Bhadram and other artists with a comic streak: Unsettling in terms of tonality.
- The bad guys: None of them look bad enough. None of them.
Telugu Funda’s take on the merits:
The best thing about ‘Nindha’ is that there are no distractions or elements intended to mislead the audience. Director-producer Rajesh Jagannadham doesn’t subject the viewer to a punishing confusion either. In this regard, ‘Nindha’ is straightforward. The non-linear style of narrating the plot is nothing intelligent, but it keeps the viewer from feeling suffocated.
Telugu Funda’s take on the misses:
Make no mistakes, ‘Nindha’ wants us to believe that it has way more substance than it actually possesses. It relies on the hostage drama that lacks the required edginess. The interactions between the captor and the captives could have been jumpy. They are not. They are too light for their own good.
The plot itself has no red herrings but it goes down a winding path with the hostage drama overplaying its hand. The story doesn’t keep circling back on itself, but the new information it keeps giving doesn’t alter our understanding of the events/characters much.
Telugu Funda’s verdict:
‘Nindha’ never feels high-stakes or emotional despite so much fuss around father-son drama, father-daughter drama, the rich-poor dynamics, etc.
Rating: 3/10
