Review: Nagaram Nidrapotunna Vela is shallow

Radhika Rajamani feels Telugu film Nagaram Nidrapotunna Vela has nothing new to offer. Post YOUR reviews here!

Nagaram Nidrapotunna Vela (When the town sleeps) is not just about what goes on in a town at night but also portrays the awakening of people against corruption and political inefficiency. An interesting theme perhaps but not very interestingly told.

It begins with a bunch of college students who are stranded in a forest, where they find marks of blood on the trees and a pen drive. On checking the contents of the pen drive, Niharika's story comes alive.

Niharika (Charmee), a journalist with a TV channel is concerned about people and social issues.  Niharika's boss, the owner of the TV channel, wants sensational news to boost his channel's TRPs and not the kind Niharika gets. Armed with a button camera she steps out at night into the city as it sleeps. She doesn't realise that her camera captures some shocking revelations recorded by a scheming and corrupt minister who wants to topple the chief minister.

Niharika walks down lonely streets, sees what's going on in the dead of night, and manages to escape from a sticky situation with the help of Babu (Jagapathi Babu),

an alcoholic. He in fact protects her that night, but when he is stabbed, she admits him to hospital, but not before he has predictably told her that he loves her. He eggs her on to fight and she manages to bulldoze her way to the chief minister's house to give him the CD with the shocking revelation. (After that there is no news of him at all in the film and the character is forgotten.) There is a twist here.

From that point on, the film slips into the usual trajectory of political films and becomes tedious to watch.

The film tries to portray what the media is today. But by focusing too much on the political imbroglio, director Premraj loses the interest of the audience because he has nothing new to say. There is also a totally unnecessary and unwarranted 'item number' in the middle of a sombre situation. In the end there's nothing to distinguish this film from others in the genre.

Charmee plays the daring journalist adequately. Jagapathi Babu does well, but the role seems a bit incomplete. The production values are not too high in the film.

Rediff Rating: