Akkineni Nagarjuna's "Soggade Chinni Nayana" (SCN), which released on 15 January, has received positive reviews and decent ratings from critics, who call it a good family entertainer.
"Soggade Chinni Nayana" is a Telugu family fantasy film written by P Ram Mohan, directed by Kalyan Krishna and produced by Nagarjuna under his banner Annapurna Studios. The movie is all about how a dead man returns in spirit form to help his son and family.
Ram Mohan (Nagarjuna) is a doctor married to Seeta (Lavanya Tripathi). He returns to India with his wife, but his mother Satya (Ramya Krishna) is shocked to find out they are set to divorce. Satya seeks the support of her late husband Bangara Raju (also Nagarjuna). How Bangara Raju's spirit responds and solves all his family's problems forms the crux of the story.
"Soggade Chinni Nayana" has a predictable plot, but is entertaining and engrossing in parts. The audiences are bogged down by some scenes in both first and second halves. If the editor had trimmed these scenes, the movie would have been even more engaging, say the critics.
Nagarjuna has played double role, which are author backed characters, and he has delivered brilliant performances. His chemistry with Ramya Krishna and Lavanya is superb, and he is at his wittiest in "Soggade Chinni Nayana". It is his show all the way. Other artistes have also done great acting, say the critics.
Beautiful rustic locales, amazing picturisation and good music are among the big assets of the film. The predictable story is a big drawback of the movie, which has been rated 3.1 out of 5 stars on an average. Read the critics' verdict and ratings in Soggade Chinni Nayana review roundup:
Soggade Chinni Nayana is set in a familiar, comfort zone and guarantees a lot of fun. Bottom line: A fun ride that capitalises on Nagarjuna's charisma.
Soggade Chinni Nayana is a family story with a fantasy element. Plus points are Nagarjuna's terrific performance for two characters, Bangarraju's entertainment and village backdrop. On the flipside, the screenplay should have been interesting. Bangarraju character, family orientation (though Bangarraju's character is flirtatious) and sentiment might work in favor of Soggade Chinni Nayana.
Whenever Nagarjuna has done entertaining roles, films have always clicked. Same is the case with Soggade Chinni Nayana which is a complete family entertainer. Nagarajuna's live wire performance and some very neatly executed family emotions are huge assets for this film. Barring the slow pace during the second half, this film ends up as an enjoyable watch for every section of the audience this Sankranthi season.
Among glitzy, formulaic and commercial stuffs that seemingly burst in a logic less world of Tollywood, surprisingly Soggade Chinninayanna revives simple family socials. Movie raises our expectations in the beginning, but fails to do justice to those expectations through the length of the film. The second half moves along predictable lines though it is well shot and narrated in a promising way. Overall, Soggade Chinninayanna directed by debutant Kalyan Krishna is a "simple" family drama with pinch of sociofantasy.
The movie is perfect watch for Sankranthi festive time. Despite weak second half, it still entertains. Bottom-line: Good family entertainer
