Narudi Brathuku Natana Review: Sathyam Sundaram's spiritual cousin falls short

‘Narudi Brathuku Natana’ arrives at the cinemas today. The film has been backed by People Media Factory. Let’s find out what its hits and misses are all about.

Telugu Funda’s reveal of the basic Plot:

Sathya is an aspiring Tollywood actor who hails from a privileged background. Years and years of failure to break into the industry has frustrated him and made him insensitive to the point that he has become tone-deaf. When his long-time friend says that he is a poor actor because he hasn’t had profound life experiences, Sathya embarks on a journey to Kerala to encounter real situations his Ivory Tower has kept him aloof from. When he runs into a kind-hearted soul named D Salmaan, he is in for some surprises.

Telugu Funda’s take on the Performances & Technical Aspects:

The main ones: Shiva Kumar Ramachandravarapu plays Sathya with refinement. He is such an underrated talent who needs more and more offers from Tollywood. Nithin Prasanna as D Salmaan is absolutely natural.
The secondary ones: Shruthie Jayan is seen as a pregnant woman named Lekha. She is good. Aiswarya Anil Kumar pays an extended cameo as D Salmaan’s girlfriend.
Others: Viva Raghav as Sathya’s friend gets a brief part. Dayanand Reddy is seen in a cameo role as Sathya’s dad.
Music: NYX Lopez’s music is excellent for this indie-scale movie with rooted songs and natural sounds.
Cinematography: Fahad Abdul Majeed’s work is efficient. He captures the ambience of the regular Kerala village pretty well.

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Telugu Funda’s take on the Hits:

Writer-director Rishikeshwar Yogi tells the coming-of-age story of a privileged and superficial protagonist. He sets up the story solidly in the first 30 minutes or so. The introduction of D Salmaan and the beats of the character’s track that prominently involves Sathya is reminiscent of the recent ‘Sathyam Sundaram’ to an extent.

Up until the interval point, ‘Narudi Brathuku Natana’ has no dull moments. Not a single one. The film almost promises to become another acclaimed drama like ’35: Chinna Katha Kaadu’ and ‘Committee Kurrollu’, if not a classic like ‘Care Of Kancharapalem’.

A particular moment is a tribute to Kamal Haasan’s legendary acting skills. This one plays out like a dreamy moment. Also, the lyrics written by Chithran and Adarsh Kumar Aniyal are meaningful.

Telugu Funda’s take on the Misses:

Unfortunately, the second half descends into superficiality. It neither maintains the sweetness of a ‘Sathyam Sundaram’ nor the depth of a true-blue coming-of-age story. The focus shifts to keeping the mood light-veined. A wedding scene, followed by a moral transgression, appeals to those who like to have a hearty laugh. But, if you ponder as to what is so life-altering about such silly experiences in life, the film’s emptiness becomes obvious.

The final 20 minutes feel rushed. Coming-of-age dramas need to acquire depth and novelty in the final stretches. In the case of the film under review, the opposite happens. The recent ‘Sathyam Sundaram’ worked with everyone because the second half didn’t obsess itself with keeping the mood humorous; while being light-hearted, the film didn’t lose sight of its inner life. ‘Narudi Brathuku Natana’ just allows itself to be watered down.

Telugu Funda’s Verdict:

‘Narudi Brathuku Natana’ could have been a special, deep film. Its first half has no dull moments. On the other hand, its second half is its biggest undoing. For all its flaws, though, you will enjoy it on OTT.