Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene Movie Review: A mixed bag of emotions

Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene's complicated back-story revolves around a newly-married couple, Arjun (Sundeep Kishan) and Madhavi (Anya Singh), and the film is packed with VFX-heavy sequences and extravagant display of emotions. Ever since its inception, Sundeep Kishan has been pitching this project as a multi-genre film that has rejected the tropes of satire and ghost-taking-revenge templates. Unlike the raft of horror-thrillers set in abandoned mansions and isolated places, the conflict in Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene begins in a swanky house located in the busy neighbourhood of Kukatpally. The thrill factor comes from Sundeep and Anya’s characters, who make desperate attempts to find out the mysterious reflection of two different characters -- Rishi (Vennela Kishore) and Diya -- in a mirror.

Cast: Sundeep Kishan, Anya Singh, Vennela Kishore
Direction: Caarthick Raju

Director Caarthik Raju’s supernatural thriller wants to prove that one can't always reason out stories/theories that trigger human emotions. The film has effectively used the available resources to establish the characters and their relationships and has put an interesting spin on things in the first hour.

The second half's bizarre tonal shift into a family drama completely weighs the film down. Add to that the lousy writing that comes with stories about characters suffering from grim conditions.

Although the director makes it a point to unfold the narrative from Arjun’s perspective, you hardly feel empathy for him. Even trying to infuse comedy through Posani Krishna Murali, Murli Sharma and a motley of characters only helps in making things boring for the viewers. Even the film's climax has a road safety social message that doesn't seem anything more than obligatory.

Sundeep Kishan gives his best since Venkatadri Express, carrying the emotional soul of the film with a restrained performance. His scenes with Vennela Kishore are the film's heartfelt ones. Vennela Kishore has a natural presence and has played his part without any inhibitions. He is easy to relate to and is likeable for his wisecracks. Anya Singh couldn't prove herself as a competent actor and has to work a lot on her expressions. Poornima Bhagyaraj and Pragathi have rendered the emotional wallop to the tale with their brief appearances. PK Varma's camera work and SS Thaman's background score perfectly contribute to the texture of the film.

It's quite a rarity to see a debut producer (Sundeep Kishan)'s intention to bring a different story in the days filled by money making commercial films. For his sincere attempt, Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene deserves a one-time watch.