The story is simple enough. Durga (Anjali) the daughter of humanitarian Srinivasan (Siddique) at Amalapuram. After her intermediate studies, Durga plans to continue higher studies in Hyderabad. In the meantime, she comes across Vijay (Rathna Sekhar Reddy) at marriage function and start liking him. In a short time both get engaged with the support of their families. But things turn around when Durga gets kidnapped a day before her college interview in Hyderabad. As captors come to know the truth about her father and decide make her suffer more. Will she escape from the captors? Will her father come to rescue her? Does she want to marry Vijay? Have kids? You hope sincerely that the answer isn’t predictable one that most other Tollywood films would have scripted. It is not. Everything that later on to the screen unfolds the characters struck in a situation which is unlikely but true. Rathna Shekar Reddy is okay as Anjali’s love interest.
Anjali Patil exudes an innocent charm as Durga. With out any single glamour or vulgar scene she steals the show by her acting skills. While at the onset, she seems to struggle a bit with her soliloquies; she evolves as the film progresses to belt out a solid performance. Anjali is brilliant in a scene where is dragged into a room and a killer smile in the end to conclude the things. Siddique with his weathered, rugged face and speaking the Telugu dialect is every bit Srinivasan of Naa Bangaaru Talli. Both Anjali Pati and Siddique are perfectly suited to their roles. Anup Aravindan is rough in his role as head of captors. Rathna Shekar Reddy and Neena Kurup are okay in their limited characters.
Naa Bangaaru Talli made on true story of sex trafficking. The movie won seven international awards and three national awards, which conclude the things here. Sunitha (Durga in real life) narrated the original story to the director Rajesh Touchriver, who always works on diverse subjects like In the land of Buddha (Sri Lankan Civil War) and HIV. He was totally shocked with the line and made a successful linear story about trafficking in our daily world. The movie explores the consequences of sex trafficking, testing the vulnerability of trust in human relations. Director Rajesh has done a decent job of dramatizing a plot that is often not spoken about or dusted under the carpet. The Screenplay of the film is totally two dimensional, never tries to thrill the audience with its bold subject. Director could have worked a bit more on the romantic angle between the lead pair. The magic of the film is lost when the film stretches beyond the point in the second half. The songs by Sharreth are tad disappointing, but the Background score by Bollywood musician Shantanu Moitra lifts the mood of the film to certain extent. Cinematographer Rama Thulasi did a decent job within the limited resources. The movie was shot in the original locations near Rajahmundry. Editing of the film could have been crispier. As the movie takes too much time to establish the mood (even fails to bring the feel in Anjali Rathna Shekar’s romantic episode) and convey the message in the end. Production values of Sun Touch Productions are upright.
Whats so refreshing about Naa Bangaaru Talli is that it cuts into dark and complex subjects heretofore explored by Telugu films (revealing them would be the biggest spoilers). There is high chance movie might not work at box office, much like Highway, Anbe Sivam, Thiru and the likes. Naa Bangaaru Talli is nowhere close to our usual commercial cinema. You don’t see hero’s introduction or silly comedy episodes or usual mass numbers deafening our ears. But what works here is true story and Anjali Patil, who gives her best to tell Sunitha’s heartbreaking story to the world. It’s not easy to make a social themed film in this commercial era, but makers must be appreciated for their effort behind the film.
Siddique,Anjali Patil,Rajesh Touchriver,Sunitha Krishnan,Sharreth. Naa Bangaru Talli - attempt to watchout.