1: Nenokkadine Movie Review: A Visual Masterpiece

Gautham (Mahesh Babu) is a globally famous rock star whose life looks perfect from the outside-money, fame, roaring crowds. But inside, he is a prisoner. Haunted by fragmented memories of his parents’ brutal murder when he was a child, Gautham suffers from schizophrenia, experiencing vivid hallucinations and paranoid delusions. The film opens with a stunning, wordless sequence inside his fractured mind: he sees a mysterious man in white (later revealed as a key antagonist), and we quickly learn that Gautham’s entire reality is built on shaky ground.

Enter Sameera (Kriti Sanon), a journalist who initially pursues Gautham for a story, only to become entangled in his obsessive quest. The central premise-Gautham must overcome his psychological inhibitions to seek revenge for his parents' death-unfolds through a series of elaborate set pieces, unreliable flashbacks, and meta-theatrical touches (Sukumar even includes a play-within-a-film where characters debate what is real). The investigation leads from Hyderabad to a remote Goa mansion to a climatic showdown with Antonio Rosarius (Kelly Dorji), a drug lord with his own connection to the past. But the film’s real battle is not against villains; it’s against Gautham’s own mind, which constantly tricks him.

Let’s start with what works. Sukumar’s direction is audacious, particularly in the first hour. The cinematography by Ratnavelu is stunning-wide shots of Goa’s coastline, claustrophobic interiors in Gautham’s mansion, and a brilliantly choreographed single-take fight scene that remains one of the best action sequences in Telugu cinema. The sound design, too, is exceptional: the mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds mirrors Gautham’s confusion-you never quite trust what you hear.

Mahesh Babu delivers arguably the most physically demanding performance of his career. He’s not just playing a brooding hero; he’s playing a man who breaks down, hallucinates, cries, and attacks shadows. The scene where he confronts his therapist (Nassar, in a brief but sharp cameo) is genuinely unsettling. Kriti Sanon, debuting here, is adequate but given little to do beyond being the witness. The real scene-stealer is Kelly Dorji, whose quiet menace rivals the best of K-Pop villains from that era.

But the film has a serious identity problem. The first half is a tense, slow-burn psychological drama. Then, around the 90-minute mark, Sukumar suddenly remembers he’s making a Telugu mass film. The second half introduces a loud, convoluted villain plot involving drug cartels, a red herring about a “taxi driver” (Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat in a thankless role), and a barrage of over-the-top action that feels ripped from a different movie. The tonal whiplash is severe.

The biggest sin, however, is the runtime. At 176 minutes, the film overstays its welcome by at least 30. The subplot involving Chandrashekhar (Anand) and his co-scientist (Nassar again) is exposition-heavy and halts momentum. The final twist-that the man in white was not the killer but a figment-is clever but explained at such length that it loses its punch. By the time the credits roll, you’ve been beaten into submission by both the film’s ambition and its excess.

Pros

• Mahesh Babu’s career-best performance, balancing vulnerability and rage with rare nuance.
• Stunning, Oscar-worthy cinematography and a soundscape that immerses you in psychosis.
• Bold, unconventional storytelling that dares to alienate the mass audience for artistic payoffs.
• The single-take fight sequence is a technical marvel, choreographed with precision.
• Sukumar’s willingness to tackle mental health with seriousness, even if it sometimes falters.

Cons

• Bloated runtime that sags in the middle and over-explains the final twist.
• Jarring tonal shift from psychological thriller to formulaic action in the second half.
• Kriti Sanon’s role is underwritten, reduced to a helpless observer for much of the film.
• The villain (Kelly Dorji) is menacing but underused-his backstory is rushed and clichéd.
• Some hallucination sequences are repetitive, diminishing their shock value.
• The climax feels rushed and overproduced, undermining the film’s earlier subtlety.

1: Nenokkadine is the kind of film that commands respect even when it frustrates. It’s a brave, beautiful, broken masterpiece-a film that swings for the fences and sometimes hits, sometimes strikes out. For Mahesh Babu fans, it’s essential viewing to see their star at his most vulnerable and risk-taking. For general audiences, it’s a test of patience that rewards the stubborn. It is not a perfect film, but it is a unique one. And in a cinema landscape that often plays it safe, that counts for a lot. If you’re in the mood for a debate-starter that will split your group of friends, this is it. Watch it once, let it annoy you, and then watch it again-you might just see the genius hiding inside the mess.