Cast: Sundeep Kishan, Sri, Regina Cassandra, Charle, Ramdoss etc.
Direction: Lokesh Kanagaraj
Banner: Potential Studios
Music: Javed Riaz
Cinematography: Selvakumar SK
Release Date: Mar 10, 2017

Sundeep Kishan and Regina Cassandra are going through lean phase with flops. It is first film for director Lokesh Kanagaraj. Only positivity for the film was it was made under the production banner of Potential Studios which delivered a super hit film Mayuri. Will Nagaram be another hit for them? Let’s see…

Story:
Nagaram, a hyperlink cinema, has four separate stories which congregate at one point to make the remaining story. A young guy Sri comes to the city to attend an interview. He is selected and is asked to submit his original certificates on next day. Unfortunately, he is manhandled and left on the road on his first night in the city, with no one bothering to help him. Sundeep Kishan is a hasty, tough guy, but with his heart in the right place. He is deeply and madly in love with a girl Regina Cassandra who actually interviews and selects Sri. He takes the challenge of getting job to win Regina’s love.

Charle is a taxi-driver who has moved to the city for the sake of his sick son, who is sick and has breathing problem. Ramdoss who aspires to become a gangster joins a local goon batch. And he is assigned to kidnap a school kid. When a kidnap goes wrong, these four characters are caught in a life-threatening situation.

Positives:
1. Second Half Narration
3. Cinematography
4. Direction

Negatives:
1. Sluggish First Half
2. Nativity Problem
3. Romantic Track

Analysis:

Hyperlink cinema is a complex theme and narrating it in an entertaining manner needs a lot of work and detailing. Any good cinema will have pragmatism and fictional in equal proportions. One may agree or not with the fact that all these four stories and characters get connected in a single day and same time which is far-fetched. But here they are real and the situations unwind in front of us are believable. The way Lokesh introduces characters who are real, the emotional ups and downs in their flawed yet very human lives, each loosely connected to each other is the biggest strength of Nagaram. The director also strikingly uses humor to cut through the nail-biting tension every now and then. These comic moments do not ruin the tense mood of the film, instead they augment it. However, romantic track of Sundeep Kishan and Regina Cassandra was low point of the film.

Artists Performances:
Sundeep Kishan’s swag mannerisms fit the bill for the bold and daring character. He looked rugged with short hair. Sri’s refined expressions rightly complement his righteous role. He is too good in the scene where he saves Charle from a batch of goons. Regina has nothing much to do but she carries the role with ease. Charle is innocent and Ramdoss is hilarious. Other artists played their parts efficiently.

Technical Aspect:
It is an authentication to the quality of the writing that we come to be enchanted by the lead characters even though we do not know their names. Director Lokesh should be lauded for this. It is not one of those films where multiple stories forcefully meet into one. Here everything is so well-knit and comprehensible. The screenplay looks fresh enough to hold the audience’s attention right through. It knocks you out with an astonishing blend of thrill, humor, and emotions.

Music composer Javed Riaz is top form be it background music or songs. Cinematographer Selvakumar showcased the nightlife of the city in a realistic manner while Philomin’s cuts have contributed for the crystal clear narration. Production values of Potential Studios are high in standard.

Verdict:
Biggest problem for Nagaram is nativity. Though one section of audience may appreciate the film, it may not connect to the major percent of people because of the nativity. The film may not do well in Telugu states.

TeluguOne Perspective:
Not So Spellbinding

Rating: 2.5