Star Cast: Virat Karna, Nabha Natesh, Murli Sharma, Jagapathi Babu, and others
Director: Abhishek Nama
What’s Good: The visual grandness
What’s Bad: The storytelling and the bloodbath
Loo Break: Anytime you want, the pace is slow!
Watch or Not?: Yes, for a good experience
Language: Telugu
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 3 hours 5 Minutes
User Rating:
If there is one thing that South Indians know very well, then it is mixing mythology with a legendary tale, giving it a visual palette that appeals to the masses and delivering a story that captivates! Abhishek Nama’s Nagabandham is the same story that captivates the audience due to its grandness in storytelling! The pan-India mythology spectacle circles around the story of the golden flower – Brahma Kamala, which has powers.
Nagabandham Movie Review: Script Analysis
The narrative of the film is anchored by two sacred things – a cryptic ancient manuscript and the mystical flower. Hidden and guarded deep within the sacred chambers of the historic Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangapatnam, these two historical objects serve as the ultimate keys to unlocking a mythical gateway, behind which lies an unimaginable treasure with enough power to permanently reshape the entire destiny of India.
The story of Nagabandham involves a ruthless Abdali who tries to steal these two divine objects. But in his way stands our hero Rudra, Virat Karna, who is the defender of the Sanatana Dharma, amidst a few flashbacks from the 17th century. There are archaeological developments, and amid all this, the film paints a beautiful canvas!
Nagabandham Movie Review: Star Performance
Virat Karna undergoes an incredibly sincere physical transformation, looking absolutely apt. On the flip side, Rishabh Sawhney (Abdali) brings a powerful presence that makes him stand out as an antagonist. Murali Sharma, as the priest, holds command on screen, like every character he plays! Amidst all of them is Nabha Natesh’s Parvathi, whose shade is unclear in most parts. His avatar diving into the mythology is equally impressive!
Nagabandham Movie Review: Direction, Music
Director Abhishek Nama does not cheat his audience when it comes to the scale. Backed by a massive budget, every single penny is visible on screen – be it the elaborate dance sequences or the massive treasure hunt. Visuals from the temple scenes are also breathtaking. The lens handles the film’s visual storytelling very aptly! The lighting is beautiful, the frames are dramatic, and the aesthetics are breathtaking! It is almost a Baahubali world visually, and that actually calls for a celebratory round of applause!
Abhishek Nama clearly understands the scale of his film, and he puts in all the effort to make it a grand visual spectacle. Well, guess what? Despite all the bloodshed, the film stands very tall in that department. However, it stumbles in storytelling and writing, struggling to establish Rudra’s urgency to play the upright protector of Dharma!
Clocking in at over 3 hours and 15 minutes, the editing department slips, and the romantic tracks act as massive speed breakers, though they look beautiful on-screen. The film preaches too much, with multiple chaotic flashbacks, which is too much for the audience to remember. All the backstories, along with the sequences, amount to a very long history lesson blended with mythology, and this is where people might give up as an audience!
Nagabandham Movie Review: The Last Word
However, Nagabandham needs to be credited for daring to tell such a great mythological story and telling it right. It is an ambitious theatrical gamble that works excellently as a big-screen visual spectacle but struggles heavily with its storytelling. Watch it for the magnificent sets and definitely watch it for the audacity to dream big and then deliver it as well! The film slightly loses its plot once it starts aiming to become a grand action spectacle as well!
3 stars. 0.5 for this sheer guts to attempt something so ambitious and deliver it. The film might not hit that greatness, but it reached somewhere midway!
Nagabandham Trailer
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