'Nenu Student Sir', produced by ‘Naandhi’ Satish Varma, was released in theatres today. Here is our review of the latest release.
Story
A middle-class student named Subbu (Bellamkonda Ganesh) suspects that the local police have stolen his new iPhone. Since he is sentimentally attached to the phone, he rushes to the Police Commissioner (Samuthirakani) to lodge a complaint. In the process, he antagonizes the top cop. As a last-ditch effort, Subbu befriends the commissioner's daughter Shruti (Avantika). A few days later, Subbu finds himself framed in a murder case.
Performances
While his performance is respectable in the film, Bellamkonda Ganesh should stop looking like he is capable of looking only meek and worried. Debutante Avantika Dassani plays a character that is hardly fleshed out. The love track is inane.
As a police commissioner, Samuthirakani comes into his own in the second hour. Sunil and Srikanth Iyengar have extended cameos with a purpose. The latter is seen as a bank employee. 'Auto' Ramprasad, Charandeep and others are also seen.
Technical aspects
Mahati Swara Sagar's songs are passable. 'Maaye Maaye' and '24/7 Okate Dhyaasa' would have clicked in a better film, probably in a mature rom-com. Anith Madhadi's cinematography lacks nuance. Chota K Prasad's editing is racy enough here and there. The dance choreography by Raghu Master is basic. The fights by Rama Krishnan are unintelligent.
Analysis
Debutant director Rakhi Uppalapati teams up with story-writer Krishna Chaitanya and dialogue-writer Kalyan Chakravarthy.
There is a new Buchi Babu in the town. He creates 'uppena' in 'Nenu Student Sir'. We are talking about the name of the iPhone owned by the protagonist in the film under review. The plot takes off with 'him' at the centre, but as the story progresses, the iPhone element is sidelined in favour of a financial crime thriller plot. Nothing wrong with that. But the film doesn't earn this metamorphosis. We never understand when Subbu the Pappu became Subbu the smartass investigator.
The iPhone obsession exhibited by Subbu is so childish that, for once, this reviewer prayed that the gadget gets damaged so that the lead character learns to understand the futility of material things. He surely needed to consult the nearest Isha Centre or Art Of Living Institute to learn to rise above stupid obsessions in life.
The motive for wooing Shruti Vasudevan is laughable. He wants to befriend her so that he can gain access to her father, the police commissioner. And, helpfully, she is a dimwit who was once a TikTok star with a transgender (transphobic 'humour' is there) for company. You see those food banks on pavements right? They are her brainchild.
The campus student wars are portrayed without any understanding of how the police deal with rogue student groups. Jana Sangh and People's Group, representing the Right and Left ideologies, are seen plotting against each other as if they are trained goondas.
Samuthirakani is a police commissioner who mouths banalities. "Just because you can talk, don't talk nonsense," he screams in a scene. Is this some punchline? The second hour introduces a new set of characters and plot points. There is a scam waiting to be unearthed. And the wait is so short that the main plot feels like a footnote.
Closing Remarks
'Nenu Student Sir' woefully lacks intelligence while being ambitious enough to create a hero out of an underdog.
