# Naani
**Naani** (నాని) is a 2004 Telugu-language fantasy comedy-drama directed by [S. J. Suryah](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-j-suryah), in which an 8-year-old boy is transformed into a 28-year-old man by a scientist's invention. It stars [Mahesh Babu](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-babu), Ameesha Patel, Devayani, and [Raghuvaran](https://www.edgepedia.org/raghuvaran), with music by A. R. Rahman, and was released on 14 May 2004.[1](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 14 May 2004, Telugu language[1](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html) |
| Director / producer | S. J. Suryah; produced by Manjula Ghattamaneni[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani) • [3](https://www.telugulyricsworld.in/2017/07/naani-2004.html) |
| Music | A. R. Rahman, seven songs[3](https://www.telugulyricsworld.in/2017/07/naani-2004.html) • [4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html) |
| Lead cast | Mahesh Babu (Naani/Vijju), Ameesha Patel (Priya), Devayani (Indira Devi), Raghuvaran (the scientist)[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani) |
| Premise | An 8-year-old boy becomes a 28-year-old overnight through a scientist's injection; loosely based on the American film *Big* (1988)[5](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/naani) |
| Runtime / rating | 2 hours 35 minutes; IMDb 5.3/10 from about 1,700 votes[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376787/) |
| Reception | Critics' average 2.6 out of 5 on Moviecrow; reviews described the screenplay as insipid and the narration slow[7](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/1006/naani/story) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Naani is an 8-year-old boy (played by Ashok Galla as a child, and by Mahesh Babu as an adult) who is fed up with the treatment he receives from his mother, Indira Devi (Devayani).[8](https://assets.moviebuff.com/naani) After an attempted suicide he is rescued by an eccentric scientist named Science (Raghuvaran), who offers to turn him into a 28-year-old grown-up. Naani accepts, becomes an adult, and moves out on his own; his mother reports her son missing to the police.[1](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html)
As an adult, Naani takes a job as a product manager at a toy manufacturing company, where his work is to play with toys and suggest improvements. There he meets Priya ([Ameesha Patel](https://www.edgepedia.org/ameesha-patel)), daughter of the company's chief (Nassar), who falls in love with him. Seeing his mother's distress, Naani asks Science to turn him back into a child, but the reversal goes wrong: he becomes an 8-year-old by day and a 28-year-old adult by night, and the rest of the film follows how he manages this.[1](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html)
## Production and music
The film was produced by [Manjula Ghattamaneni](https://www.edgepedia.org/manjula-ghattamaneni), Mahesh Babu's sister, on the Indira Productions banner; she had earlier produced the award-winning film *Show*.[3](https://www.telugulyricsworld.in/2017/07/naani-2004.html) • [4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html) Suryah, who had directed *Vali* and *Kushi*, made it as a bilingual.[4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html) The film is loosely based on the American movie *Big* (1988), starring [Tom Hanks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-hanks).[5](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/naani)
**Music.** [A. R. Rahman](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-r-rahman) composed seven songs, with lyrics by Veturi, Sirivennela Sitaramasastri, and Chandrabose among others. The track list includes "Naani Vayase", "Chakkera", "Pedave Palikina", "Vasta Nee Venuka", "Naaku Nuvvu", "Spiderman", and "Markandeya".[7](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/1006/naani/story) The audio was scheduled for release on 19 March 2004, with Aditya Music reportedly buying the rights for around 11 million rupees (1.1 crore rupees); the audio function was held on 25 March at [Prasads Multiplex](https://www.edgepedia.org/prasads-multiplex) in [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad), and cassettes hit the market on 26 March 2004 with a first batch of 500,000 (5 lakh) units.[4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html)
**Promotion.** Pepsi spent 7 million rupees (70 lakh rupees) on a mutual promotion campaign with the film, distributing thousands of gift kits containing a Naani branded black cap, black t-shirt, blue knapsack, and a Pepsi bottle, and ran contests tied to the film's audiocassettes.[4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html)
## Release and reception
Trade reports in March 2004 placed the release for late April, with dates of 29 and 30 April cited at different points.[4](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html) The film actually reached theaters on 14 May 2004.[1](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html)
Critics were unfavorable. On Moviecrow's aggregation the film scored 2.6 out of 5 from 87 users, with critics giving it 2 to 3 points. The [IndiaGlitz](https://www.edgepedia.org/indiaglitz) review called it "kiddish and puerile", noting that a childhood fantasy of growing up fast forces the director to walk a tightrope between material for children and material for adults. The Idlebrain review found the screenplay insipid, the direction below par, and the narration slow and boring at times.[7](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/1006/naani/story) On IMDb the film holds a 5.3/10 rating from about 1,700 votes; [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) lists 5.2 from 1.5k votes and an NC-16 age rating.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376787/) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani)
## Availability
Naani is not currently available on streaming services in the United States. It was last available on Amazon Prime Video from July 2020 to April 2021.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani)
## References
1. [Naani Story, FilmiBeat](https://filmibeat.com/telugu/movies/naani/story.html)
2. [Naani (2004), JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/naani)
3. [Naani (2004) songs and credits, Telugu Lyrics World](https://www.telugulyricsworld.in/2017/07/naani-2004.html)
4. [Telugu cinema news, 30 March 2004, Idlebrain](https://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/news246.html)
5. [Naani (2004), Moviebuff](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/naani)
6. [Naani (2004), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376787/)
7. [Naani critics review, Moviecrow](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/1006/naani/story)
8. [Naani on Moviebuff.com](https://assets.moviebuff.com/naani)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Telugu films of the 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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