There is a wonderfully staged sequence in this eagerly-awaited, but alas, ultimately disappointing biopic where NTR, all decked up as Lord Krishna, strides across the studio premise in all his Godly glory for the first time. The sheer impact of his supernatural walk from earthly star to demi-divinity, accompanied by M.M. Kreem’s nostalgia-dipped music, is magical.

There aren’t too many such magical moments to hold on to in this three-hour marathon on the mythic maestro who changed the course of Telugu cinema and politics. This film, sadly, won’t change anything. It is doubtful without the overpowering panegyric that the film will introduce the Legend to a new generation of moviegoers. But the cascade of gush cannot connect with the young. The youth today favour flaws. This film shuns it like a disease.

N.T. Rama Rao’s greatness should and could have emerged organically from the plot. When his screen avatar is shown shooting through a comic sequence after the death of a close family member, we feel his greatness without having it spoonfed to us. And Lord Krishna knows, Balakrisha exudes that sense of greatness whenever the script allows him to look into his father’s life objectively.

But that rarely happens as in scene after scene, characters are shown pointing to the Great Man and then heavenwards to let us know that we are indeed in the presence of unhampered greatness.

Where “Mahaniti”, the Savithri biopic scored, was in bringing out the human side of the legend, flaws and all. “NTR Kathanayakudu” wants us to believe NTR was flawless. That may or may not be true. It depends on which side of the papier-mache halo you are standing on. The film can lay no claim to being without flaws. It heaves and groans with adulation and eventually gets entertaining for the vast cast of unlikely actors playing well-known filmmakers.

Why on earth is the Bengali actor Jisshu Sengupta cast as the celebrated producer L.V. Prasad? Even more ludicrous is director Krish as filmmaker K.V. Reddy. Every time he talks about NTR, he gets a glazed faraway look in his eyes.

NTR’s well-known gallery of gorgeous heroines gets to be a part of this exercise in image-boosting. While Nithya Menen is convincing as Savithri, the other actresses, including Rakul Preet Singh as Sridevi and Hansika Motwane as Jaya Prada, are woefully inadequate.

But the funniest encounter of the God kind is with Mrs Indira Gandhi. When NTR receives his Padma Shri, Indira Gandhi, played by Supriya Vinod (who also played a similar role in Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Indu Sarkar”) calls the actor ‘Madrasi’. NTR flares up about Telugu identity, blah blah.

A good cue for audiences’ applause. But a scene done in extreme bad taste. Eulogise your hero, by all means. But not at the cost of facts and certainly not at the cost of an iconic politician.

Balakrishna strides across the imminently ruinous mediocrity creating a figure not as formidable as his father, but still convincing. Vidya Balan as his wife looks radiant and her body language of a traditional Telugu housewife is bang on. At a death, she wails with professional ferocity. But she doesn’t have much to do except look worried when her unpredictable husband makes suicidal career moves and look happy when he triumphs.

I guess we are supposed to react the same way. And the truth can rest in peace.

‘என்.டி.ஆர். பயோபிக்’ எனத் தற்போது பெயரிடப்பட்டுள்ள இந்தப் படத்தில், என்.டி.ஆரின் மனைவி பசவதாரகம் வேடத்தில் நடிக்க வித்யா பாலன் நடிக்கிறார். மறைந்த நடிகை ஸ்ரீதேவி கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ரகுல் பிரீத்திசிங், சாவித்திரி கதாபாத்திரத்தில் நித்யா மேனன், சரோஜா தேவி கதாபாத்திரத்தில் அனுஷ்கா, சவுகார் ஜானகி கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ஷாலினி பாண்டே, ஜெயசுதா வேடத்தில் பாயல் ராஜ்புத், ஜெயப்பிரதா கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ஹன்சிகா, கிருஷ்ண குமாரி வேடத்தில் மாளவிகா நாயர் நடிக்கின்றனர்.

இதுதவிர, சந்திரபாபு நாயுடு கதாபாத்திரத்தில் ராணாவும், அவருடைய மனைவியாக மஞ்சிமா மோகனும் நடிக்கின்றனர். இப்படி ஒரே படத்தில் 9 முன்னணி நடிகைகள் நடிப்பதால், இப்போதே இந்தப் படத்துக்கு எதிர்பார்ப்பு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

மேலும் இந்தப் படத்தில் முரளி சர்மா, பிரசாத் ரவுல், நாக சைதன்யா, மகேஷ் பாபு, ராணா டகுபதி, மோகன் பாபு மஞ்சு, ராஜசேகர் போன்றோர் முக்கிய கதாபாத்திரங்களில் நடித்து வருகிறார்கள்.

கிரிஷ் இயக்கும் இந்த படத்தை பாலகிருஷ்ணாவே தயாரிக்கிறார். இரண்டு பாகங்களாக உருவாகும் இந்தப் படத்தின் முதல் பாகம் ஜனவரி 9-ம் தேதி வெளியாகிறது.

The change was announced via a new poster. It was also confirmed that the first part of the biopic will release on January 9 next year.

The film was officially launched on March 29 in Hyderabad by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

The who’s who of Telugu filmdom came together for the grand launch of this prestigious project, which will feature NTR’s son Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role.

Teja originally opted the direct the project. However, a month after the film’s launch, Teja opted out of the project due to creative differences and he was eventually replaced by filmmaker Krish Jagarlamudi, the director of Kangana Ranaut’s “Manikarnika”.

The film also stars Vidya Balan, Rana Daggubati, Sumanth, Prakash Raj and Sachin Khedekar in crucial roles.

On being chosen to direct the project, Krish had said in a statement: “I grew up watching NTR’s films. Today, to get an opportunity to make a film on his life means a lot to me.

“I consider it my life’s biggest honor and I’ll work really hard to live up to all the expectations on this project. NTR was a human phenomenon. There was nobody else like him and that’s what truly makes him special.”

The project, which has music by M.M. Keeravani, is being jointly produced NBK Films, Vaaraahi Chalana Chithram, and Vibri Media.