Little Hearts was released in theatres today. Mouli Tanuj, having headlined the teen rom-com, is walking away with all the glory. We have an unpopular take, though.
It's not Mouli for Shivani Nagaram who is the film's best performer. Like Mouli, she comes with a grounded vibe. She is better than Mouli because she never tries to make the audience laugh. She just behaves instead of trying to elicit particular reactions from the viewer. She is absolutely naturalistic, and makes the evolution of the love story between her character and Mouli's Akhil believable.
This is not to take away from Mouli's sincere debut. He plays his part with complete honesty. Since the humour emerges from the situation, the script, and the character's genuine, earnest reactions to his circumstances, Mouli is enjoyable. But seasoned movie buffs will prefer to give fuller marks to Shivani. While Mouli doesn't look serious enough when his love story faces a crisis, Shivani's expressions tell us that she genuinely longs for her boyfriend. She shows worry on her face. Which makes her character all the more likeable.
Shivani Nagaram has previously acted in Ambajipeta Marriage Band. "My next movie is with actor Suhas. It is titled Hey Bhagavan. Once again, it is going to be a fun-filled entertainer. I am doing two other movies. I am open to working on a web series. The gap between OTT and cinema has shrunk lately. I am not conscious of the competition from other actresses. I don't compare myself with others," Shivani recently said.
