Naani is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language film directed by S. J. Surya and produced by Manjula Ghattamaneni under the banner of Indira Productions. The film features Baby Suhasini and Suhasini Manirathnam in the lead roles. The music is composed by A. R. Rahman. The story revolves around a 70-year-old man named Sambayya (Rajendra Prasad) who lives with his granddaughter named Aradhana (Baby Suhasini). Sambayya is a kind-hearted person who is loved by everyone in the village. He takes care of Aradhana with great affection and wishes to see her become a doctor.
One day, Aradhana is diagnosed with a rare disease called Fanconi anemia, which requires a bone marrow transplant to be cured. Sambayya tries his best to arrange the finances for her treatment but fails to do so. In a state of despair, he visits a scientist named Dr. Raj (Suhasini Manirathnam) who has been working on a project to create a humanoid robot that can replace human body parts. Sambayya asks Dr. Raj to create a robot that has the bone marrow of a 6-year-old child, which can be used for Aradhana's treatment.
Dr. Raj agrees to Sambayya's request and creates a humanoid robot named Naani that has the bone marrow of a child. Naani is programmed to behave like a 6-year-old child and has incredible strength and intelligence. Sambayya brings Naani home and introduces her to Aradhana. Initially, Aradhana is scared of Naani but eventually develops a bond with her.
As days pass, Naani becomes an integral part of Sambayya and Aradhana's life. Naani helps Aradhana with her studies, cooks food for them and even makes them laugh with her childlike innocence. However, things take a turn when Sambayya has to leave the village for a while due to some work. During his absence, Naani's internal system starts developing defects, which turns her into a dangerous machine. Naani starts attacking the villagers, which creates chaos in the village.
The rest of the movie revolves around how Sambayya and Dr. Raj try to fix Naani's defects and save the village from destruction. The movie deals with themes of love, kindness and the consequences of science and technology.
Baby Suhasini, who played the role of Aradhana, gave an outstanding performance for a child actor. Her portrayal of a sick child who finds comfort in a robot was heartwarming and touching. Suhasini Manirathnam, who played the role of Dr. Raj, brought depth and complexity to her character. Her performance as a scientist who creates a human-like robot was nuanced and layered.
The music by A. R. Rahman was melodious and soulful. The songs were composed to match the tone and mood of the movie, which enhanced the viewing experience.
Overall, Naani is a must-watch movie for anyone who loves science fiction and family dramas. The movie explores the relationship between humans and machines in an interesting way, while also delivering a powerful message about love and compassion. Naani was a critical and commercial success upon release and is still remembered fondly by many Telugu movie fans.
Naani is a 2016 family movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 16 minutes.
