Narahari

"Narahari: The roaring lion! Sai Kumar and Thriller Manju in an action extravaganza! Pakistani terrorists and ISI agents mixed with Rayalaseema faction wars! Inspiring heroics from two of the finest action stars in the Telugu industry! Narahari (Sai Kumar) and Narasimha (Thriller Manju) take on anti-social elements, annihilating those harboring evil intentions towards India!…" Just in case you are wondering, I haven't gone nuts. Just quoting the movie's PR release.

I could stop at that and say that is about the gist of the movie. But PR officers writing reviews is one thing my conscience just can't digest. And so I shall reveal the truth behind Narahari and do my share of soul-saving.

This review consists of three parts. The first, which you have already read, consists of subtle hints that would give the idea that this movie is better left unseen. The second is a mandatory part where the story is discussed. And the third, an impassioned plea to all sane people to keep the hell away from this flick.

Now for the story. Narahari (Sai Kumar) is a dashing young Assistant Commissioner of Police, who spends more time undercover than is good for the pores. First, he is in the guise of a student (this is one of those raisin-mole disguises - you got to see it to believe it), busting drugs and arms trafficking et al that are plaguing colleges.

Now that we have established that the bad guys are no match for our superhero, enter Super Bad Guy, Narasimha (Thriller Manju). Then it is the war of the Naras as Narasimha, a hired assassin, tries to knock off Narahari. He keeps bungling till it finally comes to fisticuffs, and Simha stabs Hari and runs away. The Jackal could take some notes here!

Flashback time. Narahari's pseudo father is actually Narasimha's real father. And the guy who has hired Narasimha is actually the guy who murdered Narahari's father. And this guy Peddanna (Jayaprakash Reddy) is a Rayalaseema feudal lord who is hand-in-glove with Pakistani terrorists. The climax deals with a plot to terrorize AP and snatch power (God alone knows why AP!). Narahari and Narasimha join hands 'cos of patrimonial reasons, and it's showdown time!

Caught between Sai Kumar's paunch and Thriller Manju's dentures, one hardly gets the time to recover from the series of violent interludes… I beg your pardon, it is the violence-free scenes that are the interludes. The dialogues are 'supposedly' fiery, and the fights, choreographed by Thriller Manju himself, 'supposedly' breathtaking. But if you ignore the PR releases, that 'supposedly' looms big, and the people who actually went to see the movie start realizing the enormity of their folly.

No songs, which is quasi-redemption, and hardly any script either. And because of budget restraints, the violence is portrayed by supposed AK-47 staccato bursts rather than any spectacular explosions. You wonder about what kind of thought goes behind making these movies, and remain flummoxed. But the prudent wouldn't think of such matters at all. Hope that hint suffices!