Nenu Naa Rakshasi Review

Sometimes we come across directors that try to make a film about a serious maybe unexplored topic in a masala format. While there are some that succeed, other fall into the sidelines. I guess the confusion begins with where to insert the cinematic liberties and where not to. If you don’t have a tight and cohesive screenplay, no matter how amazing the concept and performances may be, the point wont reach the audience. With Nenu Naa Rakshasi, Puri Jagannadh returns to the style of story-telling he used in Neninthe and explores a love story between two extreme individuals. Considering both Leader and Dum Maaro Dum have proved interesting on premise as well as different in role for Rana Daggubati, his second Telugu film with Ileana D’Cruz as the female lead is bound to attract expectations. Even the bad publicity of the Michael Jackson “inspired” track proved a booster of curiousity. But does the film do what its in essence supposed to, entertain? Yes and No. Read on to find out where and how.

The film opens with the final confession of a girl [Ileana D'cruz] before she commits suicide by hanging herself, while a man watches her through a computer through a webcam. Who is she, why is she doing it and who is the man watching her remains a mystery as we shift across the city to our hero Abhi alias Abhimanyu [Rana Daggubati], a sharp shooter in desperate need of money. As he escaping from his latest assignment, he goes to his routine collection point for payment at a graveyard where he sees Meenakshi [Ileana], a girl that works in a cafe with a troubled past. While Meenakshi barely notices him, Abhi falls for her instantly, and follows her wherever she goes. On the other side of town, Inspector Vikram [Subbaraju] is looking for a criminal that films people committing suicide and uploads it onto a website. While for Abhi, the inspector is just another person he has to maintain a distance from, especially since he lives only across the hall from him and he is friendly with his young daughter, Vikram is on the look out and suspects everyone. But things take a dramatic turn for the worse as Abhi soon finds Vikram's case is closer to heart that he thinks. Will he be able to get himself out in time? How does Meenakshi fit into all of this? Watch the film to find out.

Rana Daggubati is a naturally stiff-looking person but with this film, it works to his advantage for the intense moments. Yet when he tries to be funny in the second half, it wouldn't have been all bad, had it not seemed so out of place in the script. Add to that some questionable dancing and he leaves the wrong kind of mark. Ileana is improving from her bathing in a beach, mid-drift flashing self but that doesn't mean she's perfect. For the most part I think she tries to be intense in her acting and expression. Mumait Khan needs a better dubbing artist and really needs to work her lip syncing. Ali tries hard to make you laugh and only succeeds part way. Subbaraju is handsome as Vikram and has a few scenes worth acting in. Abhimanyu Singh is ok yet boring as the baddie for someone that was so powerful in Rakta Charitra. The rest are so so.

Venice and India looks amazing with Amol Rathod's camera and the action is quite slick with the background score adding edge to each scene. Music by Vishwa and Rahman is strictly ok with Malli Malli Merupula and Papam Punyam being the only ones that stay in the mind long enough after the film. Editing for the film could have been a little more crisper but the real culprit lies in the writing. While some of the dialogues are quite witty and perk the proceedings, it doesn't help keep the film afloat completely.


 Puri Jagannath had the chance to make something novel but lost track of whether he was making a commercial film or an offbeat one. This confusion in conjunction with a lack of direction for or against the issue of suicide cripples what could have been a powerful screenplay. With the film not having an opinion, on one side you understand certain decisions, while others are just plain confusing and contradicting. All of which strain the understanding of the film entirely. On some levels the film makes you laugh and cry a bit but most of the time, you struggle to keep with the mood which changes drastically. Adding to that, the characters lack depth, making it hard to connect with them. Ultimately, what was supposed to be an intense drama, ends up to be long, drawn out and haphazardly melodramatic which you neither believe in nor can enjoy fully.


Rating: 2/5