With Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi , Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam breaks the second-film jinx that hounds many filmmakers who’ve delivered an impressive first film. He shakes off the baggage of Pelli Choopulu to transport us into the colourful bylanes of Goa to bring alive a buddy flick. Three guys went on a trip to Goa in an open top Mercedes to give us the urban cool buddy comedy Dil Chahta Hai (2001), which still rings fresh. Seventeen years later, Tharun Bhascker and team tread on that zone. The camaraderie, ego clashes and insecurities all come to surface when four Hyderabadis head to Goa, but this one inhabits a different space.
The story raises a toast to friends, filmmaking and trips to Goa. Beneath the veneer of fun, the emotional crux holds the narrative together and makes these characters real. Vivek (Vishwak Sen brings an edginess to his part), Karthik (Sai Sushanth puts in an assured performance), Upendra (Venkatesh Kakumanu as the faithful friend) and Kaushik (Abhinav Gomatam as the poker-faced guy who brings the house down) aren’t the uber chic guys that inhabited Farhan Akhtar’s film. These guys are the ones you’re likely to come across in Film Nagar circles. Over chai and samosas or when they feel rich, at cafés and pubs, they’ll discuss stories and scripts with the confidence of being gamechangers in the industry. But deep within is the lurking fear of having to prove their worth and see their madcap ways fruition into something tangible.
Through the story of the four friends — one with a broken heart and a tough attitude that masks his fear, the second who’s happy with a camera but is chasing a dream future that feels hollow, the third who’s the butt of all jokes but wants to be an actor, and the fourth who is adept with technology and therefore becomes an editor — Tharun Bhascker dips into the world of short filmmakers. He’s been in that zone for a few years and hence, the characterisations ring true.
Filmmaking is a heady passion and in the journey to make an impression, there are a few likely fallouts — strained relationships and heartbreaks. The thread between Vishwak Sen and Simran Choudhary is believable, so is the whiff of hope with a touch of practicality that comes through Anisha Ambrose.
Much of the true-to-reality nature also stems from the way this film has been shot. Niketh Bommireddy’s cinematography hovers like a candid camera (there’s a reference to anamorphic lenses giving a vintage touch), and sync sound recording adds to the flourish. Latha’s production design has a shade of grunge and Vivek Sagar, yet again, raises the bar with his trippy background score that adds mirth even when the narrative meanders for a while.
There’s a lot of smoke and booze, but thankfully the conversation never gets crude. The only grouse is with the narrative not giving us enough insights into the filmmaking passion of these four guys to make us root for their short film.
And the title? The statutory warning is justified through the riotous interval episode. Watch it, let’s not discuss it here and spoil the fun.
Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi
Cast : Vishwak Sen, Sai Sushanth, Venkatesh and Abhinav
Direction : Tharun Bhascker
Music : Vivek Sagar
