Shirdi Sai
Shirdi Sai is a 2012 Indian Telugu-language biographical film, produced by A.Mahesh Reddy on AMR Sai Krupa Entertainments banner, directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. Starring Nagarjuna as the 19th-20th century spiritual guru Sai Baba of Shirdi who lived in western India, it is the cinematic depiction of some of his landmark life episodes, his teachings and his way of life. Music was composed by M. M. Keeravani. "Shirdi Sai" was released worldwide on 6 September 2012, and has received mixed to positive reviews while Nagarjuna received critical acclaim for his performance in the titular role with most  reviewers hailing this as one of his career best performances. Plot. Shirdi Sai (Nagarjuna) appears in Shirdi at an early age and disappears. He goes to the Himalayas and returns to Shirdi after a gap of 9 years. He chooses a dilapidated mosque as his abode. Amazed by his presence and miracles, the local people start calling him Sai Baba. He kept helping people around and spreading communal harmony by saying that there is only one God. Certain local people are suspicious of Sai Baba after they learn about his greatness over a period of time. The rest of the  story is all about what Sai Baba did to make Shirdi the only pilgrimage for people of all religions and entering Samadhi. Soundtrack. The music was composed by M. M. Keeravani. Music released on Vel Records Music Company. Reception. The film received mixed to positive reviews with most reviewers hailing Nagarjuna's performance as one of his best and major plus point of this film. He received wide critical acclaim for his work in this film. Popular Telugu movie reviewing website "idle brain" gave a positive review stating "Nagarjuna epitomized Shirdi Sai Baba with his perfect portrayal of the sadguru . His pure eyes, calmness in the face and authentic body language makes us all fall in love with his character. Nagarjuna is extraordinary in climax episode with a white beard. Nagarjuna will get awards for his exceptional work. Since it’s a bio-pic, Shirdi Sai should not be viewed like a commercial film. Everyone of us has the curiosity to know more about Sai Baba. We might have read some books. But none of these readings give us a complete picture on life and times of Sai Baba. The film Sai Baba attempts to tell the world about the  making of an enlightened man called Sai Baba who is revered as a God today. You may watch Shirdi Sai with an academic interest.". Another reviewing website "gulte" rated 3.5 out of 5 and stated, "Nagarjuna has outdone himself with this film. It would easily rank amongst the best ever performances of Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna is known for his glamour, but the way he has made this character believable is unbelievable. His performance in the climax scenes is very good. Nagarjuna has many chances to bag number of awards for portraying this character. Shirdi Sai takes into a different mood and  world right after the beginning. Shirdi Sai will appeal to the target audience and has good chances to make good money at the box office. Watch it if you are devotee of Shirdi Sai." and gave a verdict "Shirdi Sai is a devotional treat" "Rediff" gave a positive review and rated 3 on a scale of 5, stating "Nagarjuna steals the show as Shirdi Sai. He exudes serenity and tranquillity necessary for portraying such a role. The calmness in his face and body language and the compassion in his eyes are remarkable. Shirdi Sai is yet another feather in Nagarjuna 's cap after Annamayya and Sriramadasu. The film has a shot of the sanctum at Shirdi as a bonus for followers of the sage!" "123telugu.com" quoted "Nagarjuna deserves a hearty applause for having the courage to take up this role and he has managed to pull it off with conviction.This film will appeal immensely to Sai Baba devotees and it will be a good watch for casual movie lovers. Watch the film without any expectations and immerse yourself in Sai Baba’s spirituality. "Greatandhra" gave a slightly mixed review and rated this film 3.25 on a scale of 5  quoting "Nagarjuna is a perfect fit for the role. He has the ability to develop that grace and serenity in his face onscreen despite his image outside. He has shouldered the film very well. But if anybody sees Nagarjuna instead of Sai Baba in some scenes, that is not Nag’s mistake but that of director’s and dialogue writers’. Given the fact that it is more of a remake, comparisons are bound to rise with the older version starring Vijayachander. And it must be said that this is no match to that. As such, the film runs smoothly without  any hiccups but the problem is there are no deep moments of reflection or a situation which connects you strongly to the subject. The intensity factor which can generate a communion in the theatre is absent." But ultimately declaring this as a "Commendable attempt" "The Hindu" gave a positive review stating, " Nagarjuna leads from the front, putting up a performance marked with maturity and restraint. In the last one hour of the film, you tend to forget you are watching an actor rooted in mainstream cinema. Bent with age and bereft of his usual mannerisms, the actor comes up with  a commendable performance. The supporting cast that includes Srikanth, Sarath Babu, Rohini Hattangady, Shayaji Shinde, Saikumar and others come up with credible performances. Is Shirdi Sai worth your time and money? It surely is for Saibaba devotees or if you want to watch Nagarjuna revel in his role of Saibaba." NDTV quoted that "Far different from regular cinema with clichéd performance, run-of-the-mill storyline, director K Raghavendra Rao's Shirdi Sai takes you on a spiritual journey of self-actualization, purity and sanctity, The Box Office Collection Was Above 30 Crores Which is a good record for deviotional  flicks."Times of India" also gave a good rating stating that "A film like Shirdi Sai calls for strong conviction and Nagarjuna's move to take up this film is commendable. Entertainment oneindia praised the individual performances and technical aspects of the film.