Movie: Maa Nanna Superhero
Rating: 2.5/5
Banner: V Celluloids
Cast: Sudheer Babu, Sayaji Shinde, Sai Chand, Amani, Raju Sundaram, Shashank, Aarna, Annie, Harshith Reddy, and others
Music: Sameer Kalyani
DOP: Jay Krish
Editor: Anil Kumar P
Producer: Sunil Balusu
Written & Direction: Abhilash Kankara
Release Date: Oct 11, 2024
“Maa Nanna Superhero” is one of the four films released this Dussehra season. The trailers hinted at an emotionally charged storyline.
Let’s find out if the emotions resonate as expected.
Story:
Srinivas (Sayaji Shinde) adopted Jani (Sudheer Babu). Jani idolizes his foster father as a hero. However, when Srinivas experiences losses in life, he starts to develop antipathy toward Jani. Nonetheless, Jani remains devoted to him and assumes the responsibility of settling Srinivas's debts.
He needs to bring in Rs one crore to free his father from the debt trap. As he is on that mission, his biological father, Prakash, arrives in search of him, complicating matters and altering the course of their lives.
Artistes’ Performances:
Compared to his previous films, Sudheer Babu presents a different look and delivers a mature and restrained performance. He excels in emotional scenes.
Veteran actor Sai Chand is outstanding, and together, they create some memorable moments. Sayaji Shinde also performs well in his role.
Aarna Vohra doesn’t have a significant role, and Raju Sundaram is decent.
Technical Excellence:
The film has adequate technical and production values, though nothing particularly noteworthy.
Highlights:
The final segment
Sudheer Babu and Saichand’s scenes
Drawback:
Slow pace
Uneven narration
Patchy at many places
Analysis
The story of Maa Nanna Super Hero offers some novelty and appears intriguing, at least on paper. The core plot revolves around the conflict between an adopted son, who is willing to go to any lengths to save his adoptive father, and his biological father. Such stories are rarely seen in Telugu cinema. The director's concept is promising, with the potential to create a compelling emotional drama.
However, director Abhilash Reddy, known for the web series Loser, falters in translating his ideas and emotions effectively onto the screen.
The film’s central conflict and the characters' struggles are not portrayed as strongly as they could have been.
The story takes a long time to reach its main point, with many predictable moments and a slow narrative. Despite earnest performances by Sudheer Babu and Sai Chand, parts of the film feel uneven.
The movie truly finds its rhythm in the final 30 minutes.
It is only in the concluding episodes that the film becomes an emotional drama. The interactions between the son and his two fathers are touching. The financial discussions between Sudheer Babu and Sai Chand are particularly engaging. However, the sections involving travel lack engaging elements.
Overall, Maa Nanna Super Hero is an emotional drama about a son and his two fathers. While the performances and heartfelt moments are its strengths, the overall narrative journey has some loose ends.
Bottom line: Engaging