Narappa -Telugu Movie ReviewBOTTOM LINE

Venkatesh’s Brilliance Generates Magic!

OUR RATING
3/5

Platform

Amazon Prime Video


Venkatesh -Narappa Telugu Movie ReviewWhat Is the Film About?

Narappa (Venkatesh) and Sundaramma (Priya Mani is a happy self-contained family living in the village of Ramasagaram. They have three kids, with the eldest one being Munikanna (Karthik).

What happens when Munikanna has a feud with the powerful landlord of the village? How it affects the family of Narappa and where it ends form the overall plot of Narappa.

How Is ‘s Performance?

Venkatesh is the lifeline of Narappa. He lives in the role of Narappa (the older version) and delivers a career-best performance. The highlight is the older version of Narappa, where Venkatesh simply disappears in character.

The drunken slur, the Seema slang, the aged body language and the makeup – everything is spot on. What makes it further special is that we haven’t seen anything like this featuring a star in Telugu cinema in the recent past. It is so good to see a top star live in character.

Well, there is heroism, and it sits well with the older Narappa. The younger version of the character was always going to be a problem which is the case here. It is okay during the big drama and action block, but the romance is odd to look at. Apart from that, Narappa is a memorable outing from Venkatesh. It is a film for the ages for the fans, without any doubt.

Director Sreekanth Addala - Narappa Telugu Movie ReviewAnalysis?

Director Srikanth Addala is back after a long gap with Narappa. His last release was Brahmostavam. One could understand why he took a long break. He has finally made a comeback with a remake.

The good news is Srikanth Addala does well. The director within the limited films he has done has created a niche that gives a different impression (of him). However, even though they were set in the Godavari regions, there was always an undercurrent rooted element within the movies he has done. The politics of the native were loaded in them without being overtly in your face (barring Mukunda, though). The bottom line here is, it all helps him in executing Narappa without looking like a novice.

The strengths and weaknesses of director Srikanth Addala are visible in Narappa, as well. The emotional scenes are handled well throughout. They are dealt with a delicate touch, with the writing and performances flowing smoothly. The narrative feels seamless even though it is as it is a recreation of the original.

The intensity reduces a bit when it comes to highly charged emotional scenes. Here Venkatesh takes care of the issue. He covers a lot with his performance. And the director again should get the credit for extracting that from the actor.

And the final layer is the action. Srikanth Addala is weak on that score and has mostly stayed away from them in his films, barring one. Here the action is an integral part of the narrative. They carry a lot of emotion too. They are neatly executed but somehow lack sharpness and slick quality.

The first half, which runs on emotional drama, therefore, is superb. Venkatesh takes care of it out and out. The interval bang is sure to be loved by fans and movie lovers.

The second half has higher parts with emotionally charged drama. Narappa slips a bit here. The young-looking Venkatesh and pacing is an issue. Once things are back to action from pre-climax, Narappa gets back on track and ends well.

Overall, Narappa is a faithful remake of the original where the whole thing is recreated as it is. Venkatesh, with a career-best act and the scintillating background score, holds the attention throughout. Give Narappa a try; it would be a minimum decent watch for sure.

Priyamani -Narappa Telugu Movie Review Priyamani and Others?

Everyone else apart from Venkatesh is supporting cast. Priya Mani back to Telugu cinema after a long gap is excellent. She has been utilised well. In the key scenes, she delivers and maintains the tempo along with Venkatesh. Abhirami appears in the flashback, and she is okay.

Karthik Ratnam playing the elder son of Venkatesh is good. He has done work in a similar space in the past, and it comes to his help here. Karthik is more confident and at ease here. Unfortunately, Rakhi playing the younger son doesn’t have the same impact. He is a weak link, and it’s visible in some critical moments where he has to deliver. The small scene before the interval fight with Venkatesh makes it look so obvious.

Among the rest, Rajeev Kanakala, Rao Ramesh and Naren bring seniority to the fore. They are adequate in their roles and do what’s required of them with ease. The rest, Sritej, Vasistha Simha etc., are alright with not much to do except being part of small dramatic moments.

Music Director Manisharma - Narappa Telugu Movie ReviewMusic and Other Departments?

Mani Sharma has been roped in to provide a couple of songs. They are alright as they are used as part of the narrative. The background score is retained as it is from the original. GV Prakash did an extraordinary job with it, and the same impact is felt here as well.

The cinematography by Sam K Naidu is good. It followed the original tone to the T and is successful in bringing the gritty and realistic quality. The editing is fine. The re-writing for the Telugu version is neat with the native ‘Seema’ slang.


Karthik Rathnam -Narappa Telugu Movie ReviewHighlights?

Venkatesh

BGM

Emotional Scenes

Interval

Drawbacks?

Slow Pace At Times

Slight Drag During The Second Half

Songs


Narappa ReviewAlternative Take

When it comes to Telugu remake and keeping the age of Venkatesh, in mind, a young actor and, to be precise, Rana Daggubati essaying the younger version of Narappa would have been a refreshing change. Of course, the question of matching the intensity of Venkatesh remains, so it is a double-edged sword.

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes

Narappa Telugu Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti