- January 31, 2025
‘Nodidavaru Enantare’ movie review: A superb Naveen Shankar anchors a moving story of finding oneself
Naveen Shankar in ‘Nodidavaru Enantare’.
| Photo Credit: Anand Audio/YouTube
In Nodidavaru Enantare (meaning, ‘what will people say’), life is falling apart for Siddharth (Naveen Shankar). He has broken up with his girlfriend and is on the verge of losing his job. One night, he gets slapped by his junior for judging her. The final blow arrives when Siddharth receives a call about his father’s demise.
Filled with frustration, he bangs the steering of his car. It’s a small moment, which you wouldn’t have seen in a typical commercial Kannada movie. In this film, director Kuldeep Cariappa pauses during this relatable expression before shifting to the funeral scene. In his feature film debut, Cariappa defies the traditional screenplay and sends a message that he isn’t here to make easy movies.
Nodidavaru Enantare is a refreshing film, even if it dabbles with the often-tried coming-of-age genre. The film is a poignant snapshot of a youngster striving to find himself while struggling to move on from his bitter past. A web designer hailing from Kodagu, Siddharth fails to find a home away from home in Bengaluru. He lives with the constant fear of being abandoned by people he loves, including his mother, who had left him when he was two years old.
The film begins on a slightly jarring note, with dialogues and scenes conveying the obvious. However, itgrows on you gradually and finds its right pace when Siddharth sets out on a nomadic journey to free himself from thoughts that trap him in mundanity.
Nodidavaru Enantare (Kannada)
Director: Kuldeep Cariappa
Cast: Naveen Shankar, Apoorva Bharadwaj, Padmavati Rao, Ayra Krishna
Runtime: 136 minutes
Storyline: Siddharth is an existentialist who leaves his home in pursuit of the unknown and his quest to find himself
Road films are challenging to pull off due to the lack of drama, but Cariappa’s ideas get bolstered by his technicians. Mayuresh Adhikar’s music flows with the film’s many moods, while Ashwin Kennedy’s beautiful cinematography makes you believe in the enriching quality of travelling. Siddharth reads ‘Into the Wild’ and the film is Cariappa’s ode to Jon Krakauer’s story of a young man vanishing into the wilderness to chase his dreams and find himself.
Perhaps, in another scenario, Siddharth would have updated his profile on a job portal after he gets fired. Perhaps he would have turned to his friends to overcome his existential crisis. However, this film believes in its characters acting on emotions rather than logic. In this film, Siddharth clearly lacks a support system — this is why he jots down his thoughts in a diary.
Some people are wired differently, and that’s why you see Siddharth deciding to pursue his ambition of being a writer, unaware of the challenges that come with letting go of a safe job. He finds purpose when he befriends a woman (Apoorva Bharadwaj; once again eases into a complex character) who has also left home to understand what she wants from life.
Naveen Shankar and Apoorva Bharadwaj in the film.
| Photo Credit:
Anand Audio/YouTube
Nodidavaru Enantare is also a philosophical film, and it resonates the most when it discusses people’s dilemma of choosing between temporary pleasure and permanency. By addressing the act of running away from one’s problems, Cariappa provides a balanced understanding of the psyche of a man who sets out on such unplanned journeys.
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Naveen Shankar owns the movie. As a man beaten by life at every turn, he looks the part, with his physical transformation enhancing the weight of his character. In several scenes, he is left to convey his emotions through silence, and the actor does a splendid job of making us feel for him. He also lends the right amount of energy to his voiceovers.
Cariappa, despite a story far from practical, shines with his cinematic craft. The long scene where Siddharth confronts his mother (Padmavati Rao in an effective cameo) is pure drama. We are glued to the intensity on display, and that’s a sign of a promising filmmaker. Staying true to the title, he has made a film without getting bogged down by what people would think.
Nodidavaru Enantare is currently running in theatres
Published – January 31, 2025 05:14 pm IST
