# Ee Nagaraniki Emaindhi

Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi (transl. What happened to this city?) is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language buddy comedy film written and directed by Tharun Bhascker, and produced by D. Suresh Babu under Suresh Productions. The film stars Vishwak Sen, Sai Sushanth Reddy, Abhinav Gomatam, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Anisha Ambrose, Simran Choudhary, and Galusheya Daria. Music was composed by Vivek Sagar with cinematography by Niketh Bommireddy and editing by Ravi Teja Girijala. Released on June 29, 2018, the film initially received mixed reviews from critics but went on to become a commercial success. Over time, it has achieved cult classic status.
The film was re-released five years later on the same date in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in select theatres.

## Plot

Karthik, a manager at a posh club, is about to marry his boss's daughter and start a new life in the U.S. However, after a chaotic night out, Karthik loses the rare family diamond ring his boss gifted him. To replace it, he and his friends—Vivek, Kaushik, and Uppi—enter a short film competition in Goa. Along the way, they rekindle old dreams of filmmaking, confront unresolved issues, and rediscover themselves. Uppi finds the courage to say no to his rude client, Vivek confronts his fear of failure and abandonment, moves on from his past relationship and quits alcohol, and Karthik realises that true happiness comes from living with the people he loves and pursuing his passion, not from marrying for status and money.

## Cast

* Vishwak Sen as Vivek (based on Tharun Bhascker)
* Sai Sushanth Reddy as Karthik (based on Nagesh Banell), a night club manager who plans to settle in the USA by marrying his boss's daughter.
* Abhinav Gomatam as Kaushik, a Telugu dubbing artiste with aspirations of becoming an actor.
* Venkatesh Kakumanu as Upender "Uppi" (based on Ravi Teja Girijala), a wedding video editor with a passion for film making.
* Anisha Ambrose as Shirley, a promotional contest host who becomes Vivek's love interest.
* Simran Choudhary as Shilpa, Vivek's ex-girlfriend.
* Galusheya Daria as Dasha, Shirley's friend who lives in Goa and lead in Vivek's Goa short film.
* Arjun as Satvik, Kaushik's nephew who gets involved in the group's antics.
* Viren Thambidorai as Karthik's boss, who has his own plans for his daughter's future.
* Jeevan Kumar as Vivek's uncle who is a police officer.
* Revathi Nadha Pulipati as Kaushik's father.
* Vijay Kumar as the owner of a camera rental store in Goa.
* Geetha Bhaskar as Vivek's mother, who worries about her son's isolation.
* Mounima as Kaushik's sister, who supports her brother's dreams.
* Ranjani Sivakumar as lecturer in Vivek's college laboratory.
* Tharun Bhascker as Jury member of Goa short film festival
* Vijay Deverakonda as himself in a cameo appearance during the shooting of Pelli Choopulu
* Gautham Vasudev Menon as himself in a cameo appearance

## Soundtrack

Tharun continued his collaboration with Vivek Sagar, dating back to his early short film projects. The album, featuring five tracks, was released by Aditya Music.

## Box office

Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi was released worldwide on June 28, 2018, and earned ₹80 lakh on its opening day. In the U.S., it garnered $98,136 from premiere shows, with a lifetime box office total of $179,263. By the end of its theatrical run, the film had collected ₹12 crore globally.
To celebrate its 5th anniversary, the film was re-released in over 200 theaters on June 29, 2023. It earned ₹1.8 crore on its first day, ₹2.8 crore by the end of the second day, and reached ₹3.3 crore by the end of the first weekend.

## Critical reception

The film received decent to mixed reviews from critics upon its theatrical release.The Hindu praised the film and stated "With Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi, Tharun Bhascker Dhaassyam breaks the second-film jinx that hounds many filmmakers who've delivered an impressive first film." The Times of India gave 3.5/5 rating and commented that: "Make no mistake, Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi belongs to Tharun Bhascker. The filmmaker's flair for comedy once again shines through and his dialogues are terrific."
123 Telugu gave 3.25/5 rating and wrote, "With Ee Nagarainiki Emaindi, Tollywood steps into the buddy comedy genre which has been rarely explored. This movie has no great story but is filled with a lot of fun and precious moments which a group of buddies share in real life." The Hans India gave a 3/5 rating and opined that the film was one of the best youthful entertainers in the recent times. "On the whole, the film is enjoyable entirely and even makes us emotional in parts," reviewer added. Idlebrain.com gave 3/5 rating and wrote, "[It] is a buddy comedy that has good moments and a slow second half!"