Film: Naruda Donaruda
Cast: Sumanth, Tanikella Bharani, Pallavi Subhash
Director: Mallik Ram
It’s never easy to remake Bollywood flicks in Telugu, especially when it deals with a sensitive subject like infertility. While Vicky Donor was subtle, funny and easy on the eye, its Telugu remake Naruda Donoruda is loud, over-the-top and melodramatic.
Dr Anjaneyulu (Tanikella Bharani) runs an infertility clinic and is on the constant lookout for the perfect sperm donor. After an exhaustive search for potential donors, he finally zeroes in on Vicky (Sumanth), an unemployed young man who parties all night with his friends’ money and is often chided by his mother for his irresponsible behaviour. While Vicky brushes aside Anjaneyulu’s offer (for him to be a sperm donor) with disdain, lack of financial resources eventually compels him to accept it. The business turns out to be quite lucrative and money soon starts to flow. Vicky then decides to open a bank account and falls for Aashima (Pallavi Subhash), an attractive banker. Embarrassed about being a sperm donor, Vicky lies that he’s actually into handicrafts business. How he deals with the situation when his secret comes out in the open and how it affects his relationship makes for the rest of the film.
What works for Naruda Donoruda is its humour, mostly thanks to the brilliance of Tanikella Bharani, who’s a treat to watch whenever he appears on-screen. The film also raises the issue of infertility and the taboo surrounding the condition. Director Mallik Ram also attempts to break stereotypes in several ways through Naruda Donoruda. For instance, Sumanth’s mother and grandmother share a drink together and speak about protecting their Vamsham (clan).
The trouble with Naruda Donoruda is that it gets preachy and melodramatic and lacks the subtlety that a subject like this requires. What begins as an entertaining plot, suddenly transforms into a big bore. The introduction of Aashima’s family and the list of Bengali stereotypes that follow, are cringe-worthy. The editing is shoddy, and screenplay lacks finesse, taking the sheen out an entertaining first 30 minutes.
Sumanth makes a comeback after a hiatus and delivers an earnest performance. The actor, however, is overshadowed by Tanikella Bharani, who steals the show with his wit and dialogue-delivery. Aashima is first-rate as the Bengali banker, but tends to go overboard in the emotional scenes.
While the intention to make a film on the subject of infertility is laudable, its execution leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, Naruda Donoruda turns out to be a poor cousin of Vicky Donor.
Our take: Watch it for Tanikella Bharani’s performance. But don’t expect it to be a joyride right through. Entertainment is on offer only in parts, the rest is boring.