Life, Love, and Longing in Sleepless Frames

NIDRADEVI NEXT DOOR Director: Suraag Sagar Cast: Praveer Shetty, Shine S Shetty, Rishika Naik, Shruthi Hariharan Sudharani, Anup Davann, Srivatsa Shyam, and K S Sridhar

- A SHARADHAA

Not every film that arrives at our theaters asks us to listen rather than cheer, and to feel rather than gasp. Sometimes, a story creeps in quietly, from a corner we don't usually watch, and refuses to leave until it has unsettled our nights. Debutant director Suraag Sagar and actor Praveer Shetty, both trained in good cinema schools, have made such a film; one that doesn't chase box-office formulas but insists on being experienced.

'Nidradevi Baa Mellage, Taarenda Ee Bhoomige...' is a line from the old classic lullaby Jo Jo Laali, which also has its own version in this film. It forms the very base of the story, invoking the goddess of sleep. A mother sings this lullaby to her son, telling him that Nidradevi is coming to guard him. The words shine brighter because they are her last gift. For young Dhruva, who loses his mother early, these bedtime words become both solace and curse. What if he never sleeps again?

From there, Nidradevi Next Door builds itself on this primal fear. Dhruva grows up into a cricketer, energetic in the day, but forever chasing the one thing he cannot conquer: sleep. He tries every trick—Google remedies (leading to a 'Sleepless Anthem'), advice from friends, even oddball therapies. But nothing works. His nights are haunted by Amma, his mother (Sudharani), his childhood friend Adya's loss, and the deep-seated belief that anyone he loves will die.