VK Naresh was severely trolled on social media when 'Malli Pelli' was released. When the relationship drama started to be streamed on OTT recently, many Netizens described some scenes as embarrassing and cringey. To be fair to him, the film was not that bad. It's just that Naresh is seen by many as deliberately awkward at times. The Mysore hotel episode that took place in 2022 added to the perception that Naresh's public antics are absurd. Seen without prejudice, 'Malli Pelli' is decent.
Be that as it may, 'Samajavaragamana' has erased the damage that 'Malli Pelli' did to Naresh's image. The latest box-office hit, which has been declared a triple blockbuster in the US, has Naresh as the male lead's father.
At the risk of taking away credit from Sree Vishnu, Naresh is the hero of the first half. His scenes with Raghu Babu, the hero, the heroine and others are outright hilarious.
Had Naresh's character not been weakened in the second half, he would have been declared the film's main hero.
Naresh's comic timing is better than that of Rajendra Prasad these days. There was a time when Nata Kireeti dominated the scene, but in the new century, Naresh outscores Rajendra Prasad by miles.
