Ninnila -2021- - Ninnila

The film revolves around two individuals with contrasting lives and health conditions:

Their paths cross in London when Dev, trying to overcome his disorder, lands a job at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Tara becomes his roommate, and what follows is a delicate, often humorous journey of two “broken” people learning to navigate love, vulnerability, and the fear of being a burden to each other. The title Ninnila Ninnila—softly, gently—perfectly captures the film’s approach to romance: tender, unhurried, and full of quiet moments.

What makes Ninnila Ninnila stand out from other Telugu romantic films is its mature handling of love. This is not a film about running around trees or family drama. It is a film about adult relationships—where love is often messy, unspoken, and entangled with trauma.

In a cinematic era dominated by pan-Indian action epics and mass masala entertainers, Ninnila Ninnila is a rebellion of whispers. It proves that Telugu cinema can produce intelligent, urban romance without compromising on emotional depth. It gave a platform to directors like Ani. I. V. Sasi, who showed that a debutant can handle heavy themes like disability, mortality, and ambition with grace.

Furthermore, the film marked an important shift in how OTT platforms were viewed in Tollywood. At the time, releasing a film starring Ashok Selvan (lesser-known in Telugu) and Ritu Varma directly on streaming was a risk. The success of Ninnila Ninnila encouraged other filmmakers to bypass traditional theatrical pressures and experiment with new-age content. Ninnila Ninnila -2021-

Ninnila Ninnila is a measured, sensory film that uses food as an organizing metaphor for memory, grief, and human connection. Its strengths lie in its tactile cinematography, subtle performances, and thematic cohesion; its deliberate pacing and narrative ambiguity will be rewarding for some viewers and testing for others.

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Since Ninnila Ninnila was a direct-to-digital release (premiering on SonyLIV in March 2021), it does not have traditional box office numbers. However, its reception was overwhelmingly positive among critics and urban audiences.

Critics praised the film for its "slice-of-life" authenticity. The Indian Express gave it 3.5/5 stars, noting, "It is a quiet film in a loud world." Film Companion called it "a gentle rumination on love and loss." On IMDb, it holds a steady rating of 7.8/10, with many users hailing it as an "underrated gem." The film revolves around two individuals with contrasting

However, the film did face minor criticism. Some viewers found the pacing too slow, especially in the first half. The nonlinear narrative, while effective, confused a segment of the audience expecting a linear boy-meets-girl story. A few critics also pointed out that the London setting felt too "globalized," distancing the film from its Telugu roots.