Why the internet can’t stop talking about ‘Hi Nanna’ star Mrunal Thakur: Understanding the Telugu success of an actor who is not satisfied with flowerpot roles in southern films | Bollywood News
Mrunal Thakur’s story begins in the bathroom of a hotel in Mumbai. A few days before the premiere of her 2018 debut film Love Sonia, she ran into a journalist colleague after a packed afternoon of media coverage. She said Mrunal was already a known face on television at that time, but she was nervous to make the transition to films, especially unconventional films. She could have chosen to wait for safer options, but she said something about the film “suggested” to her.
After six years and 12 films, it’s easy to chart the rise of Marathi Mrunal Thakur Murgi She became a Telugu sensation by following her heart, even if it went against industry norms.
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Stop calling every new breakout female performer a national favorite, the internet is now quietly buzzing about what Mrunal has achieved in the recent Telugu romantic drama Hi Nanna. Ascending Dragon’s directorial debut Hai Nanna (Hi Papa in Hindi) stars Nani, whose filmography is dotted with award-winning films in the genre. But the bulk of the film is carried by Mrunal. Even as Mrunal’s screenplay gets clunky, the climax dragged out, and the unnecessary dance numbers thrown in, she crafts a truly heartwarming performance that holds the film together.
Mrunal Thakur must be interesting. actor. She made her debut in a well-intentioned international feature film, starring opposite Hrithik Roshan in her first mainstream Hindi film, and then strayed into sincere but underwhelming projects, resulting in a film in her native language. He emerged as a powerful actor in films written in a different language. Telugu. All of Mrunal’s Hindi feature films feature acclaimed directors, but what her two Telugu films, Hai Nanna and Seetha Ramam, have been able to achieve is that they have a strong focus on performers. It’s a pity that we haven’t been able to give her the stage and presentation she deserves. Star.
In Sita Ramam and Hai Nanna, the camera romances Mrunal in a way that makes it impossible to take your eyes off him. In the former, she enters the frame 50 minutes after her romantic drama. The door of the train coupe slowly slides open, its compartment emerges from the darkness of the tunnel, and Dulquer Salmaan’s voiceover builds up a mythical hype of the woman we are about to meet. Mrunal in her Telugu debut film is standing wearing a white saree. she can’t speak She leaves both Dulquer and the audience devastated. Both have the same question in mind: why can’t she do that Get used to it that?
A similar sequence continues in Hi Nanna, where Mrunal and Nani share a beautiful moment on a beach in Goa, where she makes an almost hair-flipping entrance scene. He explains to her, without spoilers, what her wife was like. This scene works so well not only because of the dialogue, the way Nani speaks, and the light background music, but also because Mrunal, who keeps looking at him with tenderness and love, lets his eyes do the talking. It’s a great scene, enhanced by Mrunal’s uncanny ability to convey romance through the gaze, and it remains surprisingly ambitious. Despite the tonal differences between the two films, the question here is still the same. How can she not be that person?
But this is why her two southern films are free from the trap that some actors have fallen into before: the “gaze.” It may sound mean, but many actors have fallen prey to what is essentially called a “flower pot.” Such roles are dizzying because they bring immense popularity and help you gain a certain fan base. But as history bears witness to all industries, if you don’t step out of this comfort zone, the end result is always the same. Some people start to be replaced by the newest people to take on such stock roles.
A-list star actors, especially in Tamil and Telugu, rarely gave female actors anything worth biting. Women exist in the story because men exist. But Mrunal’s choices so far have carefully avoided that. Both her Telugu films are romantic dramas, and even though the story is told from a male perspective, the genre itself guarantees more female agency and narrative calling. There is a Mrunal woman in Sita Ramam and Hai Nanna. Can not Stay without them.
It comes as no surprise to director Mrunal that the sensitive and moving Hai Nanna is his second Telugu film. The actor had earlier told Indianexpress.com how difficult it was to navigate his career after Sita Ramam. “Yes, it’s difficult. There was a time when I didn’t sign Telugu films for a long time. It was important for me to believe in the characters and the story. I resonated with this film and believed in it, so , and a year later, I signed ‘Hi Nanna.’ I want to spend those 100 days excited about something, otherwise what’s the point?”
Hi Nanna, the movie is not without its flaws. It’s a sweet, determined, almost bullish sentimentality drive, but remains a fairly sincere film that gives Mrunal at least two standout scenes to show her range, so it’s ultimately worth it. Everything almost works fine. Much like Sita Ramam, and especially in the climax, Mrunal shines in the quieter moments, aptly elevating the film’s heightened emotional beats. Even if Bollywood isn’t going in that direction, her performance pretty much proves that the actor is sure to deliver gripping drama. Mrunal Thakur, along with Sita Ramam and Hai Nanna, proves that she is a flower and not a flowerpot.
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Date first uploaded: November 1, 2024 07:58 IST
(Tag Translation) Mrunal Thakur
