Avoid Nagaram at all cost

It is very difficult to describe this Telugu movie. Perhaps the best word would be aimless. Director Srinivas talks about a Nagaram (city) in which the mafia rules the roost. Hired assassins go about killing people as if it is a game played in one's backyard until an upright cop, Jagapathi Babu cleanses the society of crime in his inimitable style. 

The plot consists of hired killers, mafia gangs, corrupt politicians, goondas, and a bunch of comedians who don't know what they are doing here. Apparently the director forgot what comedy is all about and made a crass concoction replete with innuendoes. A majority of Raghu Babu's dialogues get the censor's snip, and rightly so.

The film opens with a brooding 'Right' (Srikanth) as he is referred to by all, in this Nagaram (city). He is approached by a couple of distressed looking guys who warn him not to venture into the city as it would spell danger for him. But Mr Right knows what he is supposed to do. He goes into the city in a four-wheeler and the flashback unfolds.

Right is the right-hand man of a gangster who is happy with Right's work. However, the gangster's son is not too happy with Right's popularity. Right gets the son eliminated leading to the killing of Right's close aide and friend. This leaves Right shattered. He decides to surrender and join the mainstream along with his cronies. But society does not accept them that easily.

Meanwhile, heroine (Kaveri Jha) who is doing a research on the baddies comes up with a brilliant idea. She tells Right to open a marriage bureau for divorcees. From here the painful journey begins for the viewers.

The director introduces several comedians including Brahmanadam and Ali one by one, but the comedy track is sick. As the story progress, the upright inspector Jagapathi Babu is transferred and in his place comes a rowdy inspector (Kalabhavan Mani). He wants Right to get back to his old profession because the monthly mamools to the police station has come down drastically because Right is out of the goondagiri. The story carries on along predictable lines as we wait for the end.

What the director has failed to do is to etch the characters perfectly despite having a good star cast. Jagapathi Babu is wasted in the cameo. It appears as if Srinivas did not know how to stretch the film to the mandatory two hours forty five minutes, and hence introduced the marriage bureau with the string of comedians visiting it for alliances.

Srikanth fills the role perfectly blending cold intensity with a sense of vulnerability. However, his character lacks depth. Jagapathi Babu, Kalabhavan Mani, Manisha Koirala in an item number and a string of comedians fail to lift the film.

No doubt the worst movie to hit the silver screen in recent times.

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