‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’ Review: Nayanthara’s Inspiring Career Story Meets a Superficial Wedding Special (LatestLY Exclusive)

Nayanthara Beyond The Fairytale Review: When I started this job as a movie critic, I never imagined I would one day be reviewing a wedding reel. Yet, here we are, with the glamorous Nayanthara and talented director Vignesh Shivan offering glimpses of their fairytale wedding in Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale. At some point, even the makers of this wedding documentary realised that simply showcasing the wedding might not have the excitement they hoped for. So, they cleverly included an overview of Nayanthara’s journey to becoming a superstar at the beginning of this documentary, a decision that proved to be wise. ‘Nayanthara–Beyond the Fairytale’ Review: Documentary on Lady Superstar’s Personal and Professional Journey Garners Lukewarm Response From Critics.

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale can be split into two parts. The first half traces the evolution of Nayanthara, the 'Lady Superstar', from her origins as Diana Kurien, a Malayali Christian from Thiruvalla, who made her humble debut in Sathyan Anthikad's Manasinakkare in 2003. It was refreshing to see veteran Malayalam directors like Anthikad and Fazil (who directed her second film, Vismayathumbathu) discuss her early career and what inspired them to cast her. There are also other celeb vignettes, with actors and directors like Nagarjuna, Taapsee Pannu, Parvathy, Vijay Sethupathi, Atlee, Nelson Dilipkumar, etc, talking about their admiration for Nayanthara.

One can’t help but notice that in the early stages of her career, Nayanthara was often paired with significantly older actors (Jayaram, Mohanlal, Mammootty, Rajinikanth), yet she managed to hold her own alongside them. Her glamorous turn in Billa, including the iconic bikini scene, transformed the industry's perception of her from the girl-next-door to a poised diva, opening more doors for her. Expectedly, the documentary remains silent on her most controversial role in her rise within the Tamil film industry—Vallavan—and, as anticipated, STR is not mentioned.

Nayanthara candidly touches on a past relationship that nearly led her to leave the industry for marriage, despite her flourishing career in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. Given her dating history (Netflix, look what you’ve made me do!), this appears to reference her relationship with India's best dancer, which lasted nearly three and a half years.

Watch the Trailer of 'Nayanthara Beyond The Fairytale':

Every setback comes with a comeback, and Nayanthara's peak, both personally and professionally, came after the end of that relationship. However, this is where Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale starts to falter. After investing time in detailing her highs and lows early in her career, I was eager to see more about her rise to the 'Lady Superstar' she is today. Unfortunately, this part is hurried, condensed into a few celebrity soundbites before swiftly jumping to her involvement in Jawan (currently Bollywood’s highest-grossing film in India). Before we know it, we are then jumped into Nayan and Wikki's love story that began during the shoot of the 2015 romcom Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.

'Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale' Review - Mushy-Mushy!

This rushed pacing can be attributed to the need to dedicate the remaining runtime to the wedding—the documentary’s primary purpose. It’s somewhat ironic that earlier in the film, Nayanthara recounts how her relatives pressured her mother to get her married early in her career, which could have stalled her success had she married the wrong man. Yet, the documentary celebrating her career culminates in her marriage. Kinda giving in to the cliche...

Let’s give the benefit of the doubt to Nayanthara and Wikki (Vignesh Shivan) regarding their intention to share their joy with the world—something undoubtedly needed, even if they underestimated that today's world often revels more in others' misfortunes (the 'schadenfreude' that Nayanthara referenced in her damning open letter to Dhanush). It's worth noting that this shared happiness reportedly came at a price of INR 25 crore. However, these wedding segments aren't as engaging as the makers likely envisioned, especially following the inspiring story of a woman succeeding in a predominantly male-driven industry.

Yes, the wedding scenes are beautifully captured by cinematographer Sharanya Chander, and the love between Nayanthara and Vignesh is cutesy (did Vignesh's 'dad' jokes make her fall for him?). Yet, the wedding BTS portions feel superficial, with scenes moving through a checklist of moments: introducing the planners, showcasing the high-profile guest list featuring Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Suriya, and more, and offering a glimpse of the fairytale wedding. Even the couple's interviews, where they discuss their relationship dynamics, fail to shake the sense that this feels like watching a wedding CD half a decade too late. Less talked about the random scene of the documentary trying to add tension in the proceedings when Nayanthara is told that her desired destination for the wedding - Tirupati - may not happen, the better. I have no idea what happened to this dropped plan, and instead, we are later subject to a cringily-staged conversation between the actress and her future husband.

'Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale' Review - Final Thoughts

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale works best when it highlights the actress's journey to superstardom, but it loses its charm when focusing on the main subject—her marriage to Vignesh Shivan. The documentary may appeal to those who enjoy mushy 'true love' stories and 'how they met' tales, but for others, it is a passable wedding special, albeit featuring many celebrities. Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale is now streaming on Netflix.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2024 05:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).