Hi Nanna movie review: Depiction of a sweet story beats melodrama in this Nani and Mrunal Thakur film

Cast: Nani, Mrunal Thakur, Jayaram, Kiara Khanna

Director: Shouryuv

Language: Telugu

Think of your favorite films, or books for that matter. Why is it your favourite? Is it the story. If yes, what about the story has been memorable? I believe that these stories are all essentially the same. What makes a film or a book better is how a story is told. We may have seen many romantic films about separation, and parenting, but not all of them are memorable. Nani and Mrunal Thakur-starrer Hi Nanna wins because it differentiates itself with its treatment of the story. It is refreshing because it keeps melodrama to the minimum and depends solely on showcasing the relationships through a mature lens.

If I had to break it down in a Gen Z language, you have a meet-cute, which then develops into a situationship that slowly moves into the zone of a relationship before an impending breakup. Sounds like every other romance drama out there, doesn’t it. However, director Shouryuv and writer Nagendra Kasi set Hi Nanna apart by drawing us into Viraj’s beautiful little world. He and his daughter have a heartwarming bond, one that is clearly become strong despite the absence of a mother figure in the family. Sure, the daughter craves for information about her mother, but this is more an impetus that was created by her friends repeatedly asking her about her mother. This impetus gives birth to a curiosity that Mahi (Kiara Khanna), Viraj’s (Nani) 6-year-old daughter attempts to appease.

The story of what really happened to Mahi’s mother is something that Viraj would rather keep Mahi in the dark about. Is it because he is scared of becoming the bad person in his daughter’s eye? After all, Viraj clearly states that he cares of no one’s opinion but his daughter’s. It is clear that the story will traumatise his daughter, no matter whose fault it is. However, it cannot stay a secret forever either. Here’s where I really liked the writing, because of how it incorporated a flashback. It is dramatic, romantic and yet not over-the-top. When the central conflict in the couple’s relationship is revealed, I was a tad bit worried that the fears of the female lead about marriage and kids may be discounted. Interestingly, it isn’t. In fact, it is reiterated that Varsha’s fear was valid. Sure, love trumps her fear, but it is not a one time grand event.

Her fears need to allayed everyday, and there are days where love may not trump it. After all, the impression that Varsha (Mrunal Thakur) has had about love, marriage and kids has not been great. An in opportune moment leads to Varsha and Viraj’s separation. It seems as if momentarily, the blame squarely lays upon Varsha for just not being courageous enough. However, you pay attention to a few scenes preceding this and you understand that she is clearly struggling from postnatal depression that is aggravated by the fact that she is separated from her child who was born with a rare medical condition. Imagine your worst fears coming true. That is exactly what occurs in Varsha’s life, and it is only natural that she was unable to bare it all mentally.

The trauma that she was inflicted with is so deeply entrenched that she doesn’t even realize that she is inflicting a different kind of trauma on her partner. Sure, Viraj doesn’t necessarily have to put up with Varsha’s fear. We are now all about green flags in partners, so much so, that even a hint of a red flag results in you being shown the door. However, Viraj hugs Varsha tight enough to assuage her anxiety and fear. He is hurt by her, but he also understands her perspective. If not, he wouldn’t have had to hide the truth from his daughter Mahi. It is because of his love for both Mahi and Varsha.

Doesn’t mean that he is an unrealistic portrayal of a father or a partner. Viraj does get frustrated, and he does anger his daughter. He gets drunk and blurts all of his frustrations to Varsha in a moment of weakness. Yet, he cannot let go of his love. He is as human as any of us, and he has his own fears to battle everyday. His loneliness is something that he has to battle with every night, when he retires with a glass of wine, and buries himself in research about his daughter’s condition until he falls asleep where he is. His only constant companion here is his daughter. As much as he cares for her, she cares for him too and the way the film establishes this relationship is really special.

It is once the conflict is established that the film struggles a little bit. Speaking too much about conflict resolution will be giving away the plot of the film too much. So what I would like to mention here is that in rooting for these characters’ happy ending, certain subplots do not come together as seamlessly as we would have wished for. There is predictability in terms of the narrative, as I said earlier. This is no new story. Towards the end, the film does dramatise to a great extent to elicit reaction from the audience, which works to a large extent as well. However, here, the predictability wins. As the film races towards its ending, we already know what will occur, just as we knew there was a twist coming.

There were tiny things here and there that irked me too. For one, there is a shot of Mrunal Thakur’s waist in a sari that I wish was better captured, because I do understand the point that the director was trying to make here. I won’t say it is objectification, but intimate portrayal of a human body needs finesse. Despite this, what I will remember about Hi Nanna is that it is a lovely tale about a family — that moves from being dysfunctional to functional.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with a special focus on identity and gender politics.