It is with great courage and guts that director N Shankar has chosen to make Nammanna, which has a large number of artists and technicians from non-Kannada film industries. Actresses Anjala Jhaveri and Flora Saini are from Mumbai and have
worked in Hindi and other South Indian films.
Three of the four villains, Ahsish Vidyarthi, Kota Srinivasa Rao and Sudhakar, are from Bollywood and Telugu film industries. So is comedian AVS. Chief cameraman Sudhakar has worked for many Telugu films and this is his first Kannada venture. Even for director N Shankar, this is the first Kannada venture. He has directed a couple of Telugu films which failed to make a mark
Bala Muththayya, who tasted success with a Kannada version of the film tries an encore with this remake (Nammanna is based on the hit Anna, which was later made as Bhai in Hindi with Suniel Shetty) with a bevy of non-Kannada stars and technicians.
Since he had left everything to the dictates of the Telugu director, what comes out is a film lacking in native spirit and flavour. Moreover, Censor Board has scissord many 'objectionable' portions and dialogues leading to jarring effort.
Evidently, the producer has spent a fortune on the film. He has engaged two heroines from Mumbai and one of them, Flora Saini, has generously showed her cleavage and assets, much to the delight of front benchers. The fights are well-composed and three songs are shot in London. There is nothing he can do if the director decides to spoil the show by his inept handling of the plot and a pedestrian narration.
Sudeep, a tribal boy, lives with his brother. He offers water to a suspected naxalite chased by police. The police chief harasses Sudeep which forces him to head for city along with his brother. In the city, he ends up being a pawn in the hands
of rowdies and politicians. His innocence is liked by a teacher who is very fond of him. Sudeep loses his brother to the atrocities of a don who controls the city mafia. He marries the teacher as per the wish of his brother. An enraged Sudeep shows his strength and becomes a don to serve the poor.
Not being able to cope with Sudeep's increasing popularity, the politician united the warring mafia factions to wage a war against him and his gang. In the final lap, Sudeep emerges winner vanquishing the villains.
It's a run-of-the-mill story with narration lacking in freshness. Technicalities deserve no special mention except a couple of fight sequences.
Sudeep's performance is the film's only redeeming factor though he seems handicapped by a weak narration. Leading
ladies -- Anjala Jhaveri and Flora Saini -- cannot portray their roles to satisfaction.
Kota Srinivasarao looks absolutely lost and his character lacks conviction. It is painful to see a talented actor like Mukhyamanthri Chandru getting burdened by his antics and mannerisms. Sadhu Kokila repeates herself and fails to evoke laughter. Telugu star AVS is simply wasted in the film.
Nammanna is an ordinary offering from a good producer. Sudeep would do better to choose projects give his career a boost.