Story : Raghav Jayaram (RJ), a popular singer, is on the verge of losing everything he had earned over the years. And just when things seem to be turning all the more bleak, he meets Gayathri Nandana, an aspiring singer, whose voice jolts him back to life; however, his addiction to alcohol poses a big problem in the process.
Movie Review : Nee Jathaga Nenundali is a faithful remake of Aashiqui 2 sans the dazzling chemistry between the lead actors, which made the original film work in the first place. While the music has been retained in the Telugu version, along with every other scene, the film still feels incredibly bland and uninspiring. And then, there are two lead actors, who spend more time imitating the expressions of Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor than trying to do something on their own. In the process, the whole point of making an intense love story is lost in translation.
The film has Sachiin Joshi playing Raghav Jayaram aka RJ, a raging alcoholic, who has already come to terms with the fact that he'll never regain his fame. And in his alcohol-induced melancholy, he meets Gayathri Nandana, an aspiring singer. He believes in her talent and promises her that he will make her into a big star. Few weeks later, he confesses his love for her and makes her sing like she was destined to. However, his addiction to alcohol leads him to distance himself for her. In the end, when Gayathri offers to help him, RJ contemplates for a moment, but deep down in his heart, he knows that it's already too late.
On a fundamental level, the story is pitch perfect for an intense love story and one would want to believe that a remake of a successful film cannot go wrong. But, it does and how! Leave aside the intensity in this 'intense' love story, the film quickly turns into a show reel of all the ill-effects of alcohol and why you should stay away from it. If this wasn't enough, both Sachiin Joshi and Nazia Hussain find themselves bound by the limitations of the script and end up sucking the life out of a major chunk of the film. Sachiin Joshi in particular has too much on his plate and in an attempt to unleash the frustration that the character goes through, he falters over and over again. The drawl in his voice ends up making the whole experience even more unbearable.
In one particular scene, when Gayathri is asked how she's going to solve RJ's alcohol addiction, she confides that even she'll start drinking along with RJ until he gets bored and gets sober. For all the earnestness in her approach, she doesn't realise this strategy has never worked, be it in reel or real life. And this is just tip of the iceberg.
The music is undoubtedly the saving grace of the film, but it still doesn't make up for the rest of the film's never ending boring moments. While it would be unreasonable to expect this particular film to entertain us, Nee Jathaga Nenudaali is just plain depressing, which feels longer than it is. Almost like a bad hangover.
Rating: 2/5
