Manam (Telugu) - One of the most uplifting movies.

'Kammani buvvanu kalipina chethini devatha antunna,

Kannula neetini thuduchina veliki kovila kaduthunna'

'Hand that fed me with food, I call her a goddess.

That angel who is wiping my tears away, I am worshipping her' (Song Lyrics)

Just finished watching Nagarjuna's Manam. I must say this, Manam is one of the most wonderful films I have ever seen. This is a movie I am going to watch hundred times and to show to hundred people. There is a glowing feeling inside me. I dont remember an Indian film giving me this feeling. A pure cinematic fantasy comedy drama. Its something like inspirational, its something like showing value of love, family, togetherness... Sonething something. Its something like 'Its a Wonderful Life' (1946) and 'Life Is Beautiful'.

These are my favorite moments -
* Nagarjuna daving Samantha's number as 'Amma'.
* Naga Chaitanya and Samantha taking selfies at the same time.
* Almost all the major incidents in the movie happens near a clock tower near a junction.
* Samantha and Nagarjuna episode.
* Shreya and Nagarjuna episode.

The movie shows the fact that every life has its ups and downs, yet the committed goodwill of us can have an angel-blessed-paradise effect on people around us. Its an absolute mood lifter, particularly when you feel you are down and out. I take this movie one step above Swathi Mudhyam to rate this as the best of Telugu industry. A modern classic.

Performances, script and dialogs are so perfectly done that you won't have enough words to appreciate them. Nagarjuna was and is my favorite actor from Telugu. I always felt he desrved much more and by doing movies like King, Mass and all, I was actually moving away from him even though I enjoyed him in those on big screen. Manam's Nageshwara Rao character was perfect for Nagarjuna. I could see Geetanjali and Nirnayam Nagarjuna after a long ling time. If Nagarjuna is the sun, Samantha is the shining brightness around him. Beautiful and great performer in a character best suitable for her. Wish to see her in more performance oriented movies like this. Neethaane En Ponvasantham, Eega, Ye Maaya Chesaavo, and this film. She is eye catchy. Check that scene when she calls Nagarjuna as 'Bittu' after having encounter with Nag Chaitanya. We can see 'love' in her voice, eyes and heart too. Simply touching. The best thing about the movie is that we will start loving all the characters in it, Naga Chaitanya, Nageshwara Rao, and Shreya, all looks perfect in their respective roles. And then the electrifying introduction of Akkineni Akhil. Vikram Kumar, you got everything right here. No other actors could have portrayed these roles so well.

'Aa aa ee ee nerpina ammaki guruvunu avuthunna,

Adugulu nadakalu nerpina naanaki maargham avuthunna'

'I am becoming the teacher to the mother who taught me alphabet (a aa e ee).

I am becoming the path to the father who taught me to walk.' (Song Lyrics)

Harshavardan's dialogues are heart-touching. There are quite a few moments and dialogues which needs special mention.

'Nanne premincha akkar ledhu. Nannu thittu, kottu, kodagapadi... Kaani nan dhooram cheyya... '

(Dont need to love me. Scold me, hit me, fight with me but don't distance me from you.)

And so is the music and lyrics. Songs perfectly lifts the mood. 'Kanipenchina..' and 'Chinni Chinni Aasalu...' will be two Telugu songs which I will be adding to my playlist. I rarely do that. There are few, very few songs like those in Godhavari, Anand, Happy Days and those beautiful songs from the golden period of Telugu cinema, 1980s.

'Pillalu veelle avuthundaga,

Aa allari nene choosthundaga,

Kannolatho nenu chinnodila kalagalisina, yegasina, bigisina katha idhi'

'As I watch them playful, happiness is back...

Watching them grow, Im becoming a child again.

This is the story I dreamed' (Song Lyrics)

* Forget that the first accident shots (Husband and wfie) are a direct rip off from the movie Disturbia (Father and Son).
* Unbelievably there is no negative character in this movie. Each and everybody is good at heart. Everybody is willing to help each other. It make us feel about a world like that. If world was like that!

This is one of the India's best feel-good family-romantic drama films of all time. I challenge anyone to watch this film and not be touched. The music, the actors, moments, all the things here and there makes this a beautiful movie. A lovely mood-lifter. The ultimate in feel-good genre.

'I am telling you this out of fear that we may not get a chance again.' (Dialog)