The good thing about Vamsi Jonnalagadda’s “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha” (2024) is that the film wears its heart on its sleeve. It is not entirely unpleasant when a film’s desire to disassociate itself from the average mass-produced entertainers turns into desperation. For “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha,” the desperation begets an ambition that proves a little lofty for Jonnalagadda. The film fails to become a magnificently artistic depiction of an artist’s pangs, as it so intends. However, despite falling short, the efforts made to reach the halfway mark deserve plaudits.

It becomes clear from the get-go what “Nee Dhaarey Nee Katha” intends to do. The script, written by Jonnalagadda and Muralikanth Devasoth, is not exactly subtle about it. The story desires to paint the tussle between dreams and sustenance. The Dead Poets Society-like rendition of the dichotomy between what we need to live and what we live for is...