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The Akkineni Family multi-starrer ‘Manam’ is easily one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year. The movie is all set to release tomorrow but a special premiere has been held in Hyderabad and this is our exclusive review of the film. Read on to see if the wait has been worth it.

Story: 

The story of ‘Manam’ has many layers and revealing too many details will spoil the thrill for you. Therefore, we will try to be as brief as possible.

The story starts off with Radha Mohan (Played by Naga Chaitanya) and Krishna Veni (Played by Samantha) in the past and they have a kid Nageshwar (Nagarjuna). Family squabbles force them to head for a divorce and tragedy strikes the family at this very moment.

Nageshwar grows up and becomes a successful business magnate. He accidentally comes across a guy named Nag one day, who bears remarkable resemblance to his father Radha Mohan. Intrigued by this development, he also seeks out his mother Krishna Veni, as he believes that she must also have been born somewhere. To his great surprise, he discovers a girl named Priya (Samantha) who looks exactly like Krishna Veni.

Nageshwar tries his best to bring Nag and Priya together and in this process, he comes across Doctor Anjali (Shreya) and Chaitanya (Played by ANR). Chaitanya has the shock of his life as Nageshwar and Anjali are just like his parents, Seetharamudu and Rama Lakshmi.

How are all these people connected? What is the mystery behind these rebirths? What role does the clock tower play? This is what Manam is all about.

Highlights :

- ANR garu leaves an incredible impression on the viewers with his presence. Even though he is not present throughout the film, you can feel him. It feels almost as if he is trying to narrate the film to you like a favourite uncle.

- The star cast has performed flawlessly. Nagarjuna is impressive and so is Naga Chaitanya. Among the leading ladies, Samantha takes the cake with a delightfully cute performance.

- The plot has been handled in a very intelligent way. Despite being inherently complex, the story has been simplified beautifully and it will be understood easily by everyone.

- Akhil Akkineni’s special entry is a treat to watch. This guy will make a very big impact on Tollywood in the years to come and he is a star in the making.

- The film has a very pleasant and positive feel throughout. There is no unnecessary melodrama and viewers will walk out of the theaters feeling happy.

- The film has good entertainment levels and it should do very well at the Box Office.

Weak Areas : 

- NA (As a mark of respect for the late Dr. ANR, we are leaving this field blank)

The finer things : 

PS Vinod has worked his magic and the visuals look excellent. Cinematography is a major asset for the movie. Anoop Rubens has done a good job with the music and the background score. Harshavardhan deserves special mention for his writing skills.

The star of the technical department is undoubtedly Vikram Kumar. He has made such a complex story look so simple during narration and he has also succeeded in balancing the star cast beautifully. This film will go down as a fine example of what good direction can do to an innovative story.

Verdict :

Dr. ANR is one of the founding fathers of the Telugu Film Industry as we know it today. ‘Manam’ is his last film and everyone wanted it to be special, as a tribute to the Legendary actor. The movie does not disappoint. Dr. ANR’s presence, top notch performances from the lead cast, clever narration and excellent direction from Vikram Kumar make this film a very memorable one for Telugu cinema lovers. Don’t miss this gem.

Critic’s Rating – 4.25 /5 

Box Office Potential – High