Review: Nuvva Nena - Old wine in new bottle

Hyderabad: Blame it on the system, on the approach, on the mindset or what have you but the breezy comedy is converted into a musical with dream sequences aplenty.

You have a script again (Narayana) that is so convinced that the audience wants to see the song and dance sequence that you begin to head to popcorn vendor more often than you are prepared to normally.

The film starts on predictable lines and not a moment is outside the clich'd box. You have a small time big thief Avinash (Allari Naresh) assisted by Bava Chanti (Ali).

There is the chase and the run to tickle you. There is the police who catch up with him and then there is the mandatory police station scene.

Soon a heist is planned with the local police ' with Avinash and Chanti to execute. They now have the booty, a cheating police officer looted lost and off to Hyderabad and straight to a five star hotel.

Before you can even say what's next, Avinash notices a gorgeous Nandini (Shriya Saran) and you have the mandatory song and dance sequence.

Once is fair enough, but the regularity with which he gets into the song and dance mode leaves you with the distinct feeling that the film maker had left proceedings to the choreographer.

He meets up with Nandini who is a psychiatrist with the pretext that Chanti needs medical attention.

Stalling their advances is the local nurse Pushpa (Kovai Sarala) who has gained as much weight as experience.

Walking in now is Sharwanand (Anand) a timid guy who suffers from a serious disorder of sorts and his rich parents bring him to the psychiatrist.

Before long, he too has to imagine a few songs and dances and so you have doubled the number of song and dance sequences.

There is the local dada: Aaku Bhai (Brahmanandam) who also falls in love with the Shriya. She seems to getting everyone around romantically inclined!!.

Pushpa in turn has fallen for the heroics of Aaku Bhai. Now, you have the song and dance sequence dedicated to the Shriya ' Brahmanandam combo and here a few genuine laughs; Brahmi doing a Surya and Rajni, in a way only he can, gets the house down with laughter. This time round, you don't mind the song and dance sequences.

While Avinash and Anand planning strategies to get close to Nandini, you have Aaku Bhai's bungling group heading towards Pushpa every time thinking that their boss is in love with her. Even they do not perceive that he is in love with the doc.

Those who have seen the Hindi original know the final twist in the tale, so a bit of the surprise element is lost. For the rest, the nagging question is who gets the gal at the end.

With not too many expectations, walk into the theatre and you could have a few good laughs and forget it all as you leave the theatre.

It is a typical Allari Naresh film and it is amazing that the guy carries a script of this kind so effortlessly.

He has good company in competitor Sharwanand. For the glamour element you have Shriya who looks more glamorous than Juhi does but lacks the chirpy na'vet' that Juhi brought into the original.

Ali and Brahmanandam are a must watch. Light hearted, even lighter headed. Head there with that in mind.