The young man is a charmer) is a 2016 Indian Telugu-language supernatural drama film directed by Kalyan Krishna Kurasala and written by Satyanand and Ram Mohan P. In addition to producing the film under his Annapurna Studios banner, Nagarjuna played dual roles, starring alongside Ramya Krishna and Lavanya Tripathi.
The film revolves around the soul of Bangarraju, a flirtatious zamindar whom Yama sends back to earth to reconcile his son (Ram "Ramu" Mohan) and his wife Seetha, who are on the brink of divorce.
P. S. Vinod and Siddhardh Ramaswami provided the cinematography, and Anup Rubens composed the film's soundtrack and background score.
Produced on a budget of ₹15–20 crore, Soggade Chinni Nayana was released worldwide on 15 January 2016 during the Makar Sankranti festival season in 390-410 screens.
Satyabhama, shocked to learn that Ramu and Seetha are divorcing, shouts at a portrait of her deceased husband Bangarraju (a benevolent, flirtatious zamindar who died nearly 30 years ago in an accident).
Bangarraju fights them and retrieves the jewellery before leaving Ramu, who operates on an injured Seetha in a nearby hospital.
Ramu and Seetha reconcile, and Yamraj orders Bangarraju to come back in accordance with Lord Shiva's instructions.
[6] Nagarjuna approved the inclusion of supernatural elements, such as the ghost of Bangarraju and the divine snake guarding his family, on the condition that they be positive and not frightening.
Ramu's character was based on Umakanth, a contestant on Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu (a game show hosted by Nagarjuna).
[6] As Bangarraju, Nagarjuna wore a dhoti and a 1959 watch; both were worn by his father, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, in his many village-film starring roles.
[9][10] Initially skeptical about playing a married woman, Tripathi agreed after listening to a script reading at the Annapurna Studios office.
[12] L. Satyanand wrote Soggade Chinni Nayana's screenplay, and Anup Rubens composed its soundtrack and score.
[16] Hamsa Nandini confirmed her inclusion in the cast in December 2014; she played a supporting role and participated in a song with Nagarjuna.
[13] Television presenter Anasuya Bharadwaj played Nagarjuna's cousin after Swathi Reddy backed out, citing scheduling conflicts.
[a] The six-song Soggade Chinni Nayana soundtrack was composed by Anup Rubens; however, its initial release had only five songs.
[32] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo from The Hindu wrote that Rubens' music complemented the film's rural backdrop.
[16] Sify called Rubens' music one of the film's biggest strengths, which "perfectly gelled with the rustic storyline".
Three other Telugu films (Nannaku Prematho, Express Raja and Dictator) were released at the same time, which affected its distribution.
[34] Nagarjuna defended his release decision, saying that the film's rural backdrop made it suitable for the Makar Sankranti season (a harvest festival).
[36] Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle gave Soggade Chinni Nayana four out of five stars, praising Kurasala's narrative clarity and calling it "wonderful overall" for its consistent tempo.
[37] Sangeetha Devi Dundoo, in The Hindu, gave the film 3.5 stars out of five and said it was set in a "familiar, comfort zone" which "guarantees a lot of fun".
[16] Pranita Jonnalagedda of The Times of India also gave the film 3.5 stars out of five, calling it "so uncomplicated, unfussy and unpretentious" that viewers "get hooked to its simplicity".
[33] L. Ravichander of The Hans India gave it a negative review, calling it an obsolete film with crass humor.
[40] According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, Soggade Chinni Nayana grossed US$535,183 (₹362 million) at the United States box office in its first weekend and was Nagarjuna's second-highest-grossing film in India (after Manam).
[43] After losing 30 screens to Airlift, Soggade Chinni Nayana grossed $776,940 (₹52.7 million) in ten days at the U.S. box office.