Nenu Sailaja (2016)

1. Performances - Hero's role feels as if it's tailor-made for Ram. After doing routine stories trying to get a hit and failing, Ram has finally hit a jackpot with this one. I could imagine no one other than Ram doing this. Heroine, Keerthy Suresh, is mind blowing with subtle expressions. She was so good and apt for her role that we won't feel like she's a débutant. Satya Raj got to do a good role as a father, after Raja Rani. There are several other characters who have enough weightage (importance). No character is forcefully inserted into the movie.

2. Music - Music by Devi Sri Prasad (DSP) is top-notch. "Crazy feeling", "Sailaja Sailaja" and "Em cheppanu" have become my favorite songs in recent times. The lyrics of these songs are simple yet effective, which makes us fall in love with them.

3. Cinematography - I'm not sure if everyone noticed how brilliant the cinematography is. This is actually a low-budget movie but we wouldn't know it because of the way it was portrayed. Araku and Vizag are shown in the most beautiful way. Some close-up portrait shots of Ram and Keerthy are overwhelmingly artistic. If you are photography enthusiast, then don't miss this movie.

4. Story, dialogues, screenplay and direction - Story is very routine. What makes Nenu Sailaja stand out is the screenplay and dialogues. Dialogues are so fresh, simple, catchy and entertaining - all at the same time. It seems as if we are watching a Trivikram movie.

This may seem like an above-average movie, but after few years I'm sure we would feel nostalgic about this, like we do for Trivikram's Nuvve Nuvve.

My rating is 8/10