| Nene Naa | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Caarthick Raju |
| Written by | Caarthick Raju |
| Produced by | Raj Shekar Varma |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gokul Benoy |
| Edited by | V. J. Sabu Joseph |
| Music by | Sam C. S. |
Production company | Appletree Studios Pvt. Ltd. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
Nene Naa..?! (transl. Is it me..?!) is a 2023 Indian Telugu language mystery thriller film directed byCaarthick Raju.[1] The film starsRegina Cassandra,[2]Akshara Gowda,Vennela Kishore andJayaprakash.
The plot of the film is set in two time periods, modern and 1920s withRegina Cassandra playing an archaeologist in the present andAkshara Gowda portraying a girl belonging to a landowners family from the past. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil asSoorpanagai, and remains unreleased. Its Tamil title is derived from the epicRamayana's antagonist characterSoorpanagai, sister of the kingRavana.
The film was released theatrically on 25 August 2023.[3]
The film is set in two periods, the present and the 1920s. In modern times an archaeologist, as part of her job, unearths something antique which leads to mysterious events.
A foreigner is attacked and sucked into quicksand by an ethereal force. Archaeologist heroine Divya explores the situation and discovers a 120-year-old woman's skeleton.Shortly after that, the forensic reports say that the skull facial features resemble those of Divya. Shortly after the local DSP was brutally murdered with a spear perched into him.
The forensic report identifies fingerprints on the spear that are consistent with those of a young woman. Heroine Divya tells her brother, who is assaulted by a lady who resembles his sister, about the bizarre occurrences.
Set in two time periods the film has cast ofRegina Cassandra andAkshara Gowda. In the current period Regina plays role of an archaeologist while in the period of 1920s, Akshara plays a member of land owners family.[5] The film is shot simultaneously inTamil andTelugu languages has been titledSoorpanagai in Tamil, and in Telugu it is calledNene Naa..?!.[6][7] Principal photography began in early March 2020 in a Tamil villageCourtallam.[8] The filming resumed on 5 January 2021 after lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic,[9] and waswrapped up in August 2021.[10]
A critic from123telugu wrote that "In conclusion,Nene Naa struggles as a silly, outdated and boring horror thriller. While Regina Cassandra’s performance is okay, much more is needed to redeem the film’s shortcomings".[11] A critic fromThe South First wrote that "Except for Vennela Kishore’s humour, this horror thriller is unbearable. The way the reincarnation theme is handled is not so convincing. The backstory of Damayanthi isn’t so exciting".[12]