Naa Saami Ranga review: Nagarjuna’s film is a decent Sankranthi entertainer helobaba.com
Naa Saami Ranga review: Despite releasing last in the line of films for Sankranthi, Naa Saami Ranga stands out. Choreographer Vijay Binni tries his hand at direction in the Telugu adaptation of the 2019 Malayalam film Porinju Mariam Jose. The film featuring an ensemble cast of Nagarjuna, Ashika Ranganath, Allari Naresh, Mirnaa Menon, Raj Tarun and Ruhani Sharma is tailor-made for Sankranthi. (Also Read: Rukshar Dhillon calls Naa Saami Ranga co-star Nagarjuna a gem)
Naa Saami Ranga story
The year is 1988. Kishtaiyah (Nagarjuna) and Anji (Naresh) share a deep bond akin to brothers and are loyal to a fault to the village head Peddayya (Nassar), who helped them out as children. When they’re tasked with protecting Bhaskar (Raj) from goons because he has fallen in love with Kumari (Ruksha1r) from the neighbouring village, little do they know that their lives will turn upside down.
Naa Saami Ranga review
The way Naa Saami Ranga plays out, the film doesn’t offer something that sticks with you for long after. And yet, it manages to entertain you when you’re watching. Most of the film takes place during Bhogi and Sankranthi festivals, with the sets helping you get into the festive mode as much as Dasaradhi Sivendra’s cinematography and MM Keeravaani’s music does. The film also taps into the ritual of prabhala teertham native to Konaseema. The cast breezes through their roles and the director doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, evening joining in to shake a leg with the cast in the title song.
Ashika Ranganath steals the show
It’s difficult to stand out in an ensemble cast, especially in a film with multiple plot points. But Ashika’s character Varalakshmi aka Varalu has to be the scene-stealer of this film. She’s not there in every frame, but when she does come on-screen, she draws eyes to her. A tragic incident with her father (Rao Ramesh) and her love for Kishtayya are at the heart of this story. Ashika doesn’t just look like a dream, she delivers a commendable performance. There’s also something beautiful about seeing a female lead in a masala film stand up for herself instead of waiting to be saved. The only other person who comes close to garnering that kind of attention is Shabeer Kallarakkal, as Peddayya’s psychotic son Das.
Could’ve been adapted better
Porinju Mariam Jose is by no means a perfect film and when Vijay adapts it to Telugu, he also carries some of its faults with him. The film’s story hinges a lot on you caring about the motley of characters. While Bhaskar and Kumari are central to the story, they don’t serve any purpose other than being catalysts. Anji and his wife Manga’s (Mirnaa) characters aren’t fleshed out well enough to tug at your heartstrings when something massive happens. But Naresh manages to make Anji memorable.
Works due to mass masala
However, to give the director his due, he doesn’t spoonfeed you instances. He might drag the runtime to fit in multiple songs that don’t always work, but he’ll also deliver whistle-worthy moments that Nagarjuna’s fans will love. Because he ups the commerciality of Naa Saami Ranga, the film passes muster despite its imperfections. The romance between Kishtayya and Varalu, while old-fashioned, will stay with you. Naa Saami Ranga is a no-nonsense rural drama that’s a decent watch for Sankranthi.
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