After the recent releases Pratinidhi 2 and Bhairavam, actor Nara Rohit is back on the silver screen with his latest film Sundarakanda. Having faced 14 back-to-back flops (except for one or two minor successes), Rohit has now teamed up with debut director Venkatesh Nimmalapudi to try his hand at a romantic comedy. At a time when rom-coms are losing traction in the market, let’s see whether this experiment worked or not.
The Story
Siddharth (Nara Rohit) is nearing 40, still unmarried, and busy dyeing his hair to look younger. His parents (Naresh and Roopalakshmi) keep searching for matches, but he rejects them all. The reason – he’s obsessed with finding five specific qualities in a woman, which he once admired in his school senior Vaishnavi (Sridevi Vijaykumar).
One day, while on his way to the airport to fly abroad, he meets Aira (Vrutti Vaghani). To his surprise, she has all the five qualities he’s been looking for. He falls in love, convinces her, and even prepares for marriage. But when he goes to meet her family – who are much younger than him – he receives an unexpected shock.
What is this shocking twist? Will the marriage happen? How will Siddharth deal with this unusual situation? That’s what forms the rest of the love story.
Performances
• Nara Rohit fits the role of an aging bachelor well. He shines in the romantic scenes and looks stylish in action sequences (though fights feel unnecessary for this story). However, as always, his expressions remain flat in emotional scenes.
• Vrutti Vaghani looks apt as a college student with youthful appeal, but struggles in heavy emotional scenes.
• Sridevi Vijaykumar adds elegance and dignity in her senior woman’s role.
• Naresh as the father provides comic relief, while Satya as the friend brings in much-needed humor.
Though the film is essentially a serious love story, it is narrated in a lighter, comedy-driven tone, making the performances feel more casual.
Technical Aspects
• Music (Leon James): The songs aren’t particularly catchy. They work visually but fail to create a lasting impact.
• Cinematography (Pradeep Varma): Stylish and modern visuals suit the love story perfectly. Production values are rich, and the film looks visually appealing.
• Editing: Weak. Several dragged-out scenes reduce the impact, and the editor seems to have had little control over trimming.
• Direction (Venkatesh Nimmalapudi): The debutant director focuses more on witty dialogues than on strengthening the narrative. He chooses a “safe route” by turning a sensitive subject into comedy rather than exploring its seriousness.
Storytelling & Inspirations
The storyline of Sundarakanda resembles Dasari Narayana Rao’s 1975 film Toorpu Padamara, which itself was the Telugu remake of K. Balachander’s Tamil classic Apoorva Raagangal. Those films dealt with a complex situation where a father and son fall in love with a mother and daughter.
Here too, the subject is risky: the hero once loved the mother and later plans to marry the daughter. Instead of addressing the sensitive, moral, and social layers of such a subject, the director plays it safe by wrapping it all in comedy.
If taken seriously, the film could have been bold and impactful. As it stands, it can only be enjoyed as a light, one-time watch.
Final Verdict
The first half drags until the heroine’s entry, while the second half also struggles with pacing. Still, for a first-time director, managing to deliver this much is commendable.
For Nara Rohit, after a long gap, Sundarakanda comes as a “not bad” entertainer that at least gives him some breathing space.
Rating: 2.5/5
