Naa Ishtam Review

The coming of the Nandana, is to augur well, or so hopes the film viewer. The New Year release cautions against any such optimism. You have yet again a tale of huge bloody (literally) family of hunks living off factors of brawl, family respect, and the girl defying this all in the name of love.
It is appalling to notice how regularly our film makers take this story line and construct a script around it. There is neither fatigue nor apology to walk the road that already is challenged by a traffic jam. Given the story line, the task is left to the choreographer and the stunt man to take you through the ruins, sorry the script. Even the props are in place: the group of no-gooders, the blundering comedian, the useless fiancé in waiting, the anointed groom who is eyeing anything in female form and the wealth of the prospective pa in law and the like.
Let’s run through the formality of the latest repeat: Ganesh (Rana) meets Krishnaveni (Genelia) at a temple in Malaysia. She is waiting to get married to her boy friend Kishore. He does not turn up. The goons are out there to kidnap the damsel in distress. Saving her from entering the flesh trade in Singapore, Ganesh decides to bring her back to India. In the short sojourn in India you have this huge family headed by Papa Naidu (Nasser) who values family prestige living with those characters whose only job is to serve coffee, and occupy some space in photographs. This includes violent son Parashuram (Subba Raju). They have the family wedding coming up between Krishnaveni and Dora Babu (Bharat). With Ganesh coming to know that the wedding would not work, he transports Krishnaveni back to Malaysia.
With her brother following the couple, a paid killer, it is time for the hero to fall in love with the gal. On the one hand is Kishore, then the unexpressed love of Ganesh, the killer on the prowl, the brother in pursuit……. forget all this you have reels dedicated to songs and fights interpolated to derail the tale. You can yawn till the collective voice reaches Tollywood but be sure there is another guy out there waiting to tell the same story.
Sometimes a romantic film of this kind is viewable despite all its clichés and pot holes, when it has a cast that delivers, or a crew that pulls up the goings on. There is nothing of any redeeming sort in this outing. The film as it rehashes the tale of yore, takes the road most travelled and does not even attempt to avoid the potholes.
The cast, all of them, function within the precincts of predictable boredom. No one is called upon to think out of the box. No one even attempts it. Ali and Bramanandam who are enough to let the sapping spirit raise, have simply no scope and are left wandering into the script. In so far as the former he makes a late entry and in so far the later, he is literally lost in Malaysia, once he arrives there.
Of the lead cast, Rana has acquired a six pack and his limbs are stiff. So are his muscles. He delivers a stiff performance and must have given the choreographer the run for his money. Genelia as usual is tempted to go over board and screech. When she is not doing that, she is the saving grace of the film. Na Ishtam – is NO Ishtam.

L. Ravichander