Dayaalu (Manam) (2014)

Summary

The film chronicles a unique love story spanning 100 years and centers on the concept of reincarnation. After the tragic death of a young couple, Radha and Krish, in 1983, their souls are reborn decades later as Krish and Radha. Simultaneously, their son from the past life, Nagarjuna, now a successful businessman, encounters the reincarnated versions of his parents, who are now younger than him. The story follows Nagarjuna's humorous and heartfelt efforts to bring his "parents" together in their new lives, while also seeking closure for the loss of his own parents, exploring the enduring cycle of family, love, and fate.

Plot

Dayaalu (original title Manam), meaning "Us" or "We," is a cinematic tribute to the enduring nature of love and family across multiple generations. The film begins in 1983, establishing the tragic deaths of a happily married couple, Radha (Naga Chaitanya) and Krish (Samantha Ruth Prabhu), in a car accident. They leave behind their distraught young son, Bitto.

The story jumps forward 30 years. Bitto has grown up to become Nagarjuna (Nagarjuna), a deeply solitary but successful and wealthy businessman who cherishes the memory of his parents. The narrative then introduces the reincarnated souls of his parents. The soul of Radha is now reborn as Radha (Samantha Ruth Prabhu, again), a cheerful pediatrician, and Krish is reborn as a spirited advertising professional named Krish (Naga Chaitanya, again). They are strangers to each other, living separate lives.

The main plot driver is Nagarjuna's chance encounter with Krish. Nagarjuna is immediately struck by Krish's uncanny resemblance to his late father, along with similar mannerisms and traits. Soon after, he meets Radha, who looks exactly like his late mother. Nagarjuna becomes obsessively convinced that these two young adults are his parents reincarnated.

Nagarjuna's initial attempts to get closer to them are misunderstood. Krish and Radha find the older businessman's intense, almost paternal attention unnerving and intrusive. They have no recollection of their past lives. Nagarjuna, viewing this as a second chance to bring his family back together, decides to manipulate their lives to make them fall in love. He uses his resources to ensure they constantly cross paths—engineering chance meetings, interfering with their professional lives, and setting up scenarios for romance, which leads to highly comical and awkward situations.

A crucial parallel storyline is introduced when Nagarjuna meets a young doctor, Priya (Shriya Saran), who is revealed to be the reincarnation of his original mother, Anjali. Now, Nagarjuna is simultaneously pursuing the love story of his parents (Krish and Radha) while awkwardly engaging with his mother (Priya) in her new, younger form. The emotional core of the film is Nagarjuna's struggle to treat the younger Priya as his mother while respecting her current existence.

The climax brings all the major characters together. During a tense trip, a near-fatal accident forces Krish and Radha to face their deep, inexplicable connection. In a moment of crisis, they start regaining fragmented memories of their past life, finally understanding the older Nagarjuna's strange behavior.

The film concludes on a heartwarming, emotional high note. With the help of the elderly Subrahmanyam (Akkineni Nageswara Rao, also a reincarnated soul), the two new couples—Krish and Radha, and Nagarjuna and Priya—unite, giving Nagarjuna the closure he desperately sought and effectively bringing his family "back."

Cast

• Akkineni Nageswara Rao as Subrahmanyam / Nagarjuna Sr. (His final film role)

• Nagarjuna as Nagarjuna (Jr.) / Bitto

• Naga Chaitanya as Radha (Original) / Krish (Reincarnated)

• Samantha Ruth Prabhu as Krish (Original) / Radha (Reincarnated)

• Shriya Saran as Anjali (Original) / Priya (Reincarnated)

• Amitabh Bachchan as Cameo appearance

Crew

• Director: Vikram Kumar

• Producer: Akkineni Nagarjuna

• Music Director: Anoop Rubens

• Cinematography: P. S. Vinod

• Editor: Prawin Pudi

• Screenplay: Vikram Kumar

Release Info

• Release Year: 2014

• Release Date: May 23, 2014

• Language: Telugu (Original, Manam), Hindi-Dubbed (Dayaalu)

• Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Comedy, Romance