Radha Krishna (Naga Shaurya) runs an organization that trains women in self defense. A nun informs him that one of her community girls Manasa (Kashmira) is harassed by a guy (Satyam Rajesh). He saves her from him and also falls in love with her. On the other hand, his father fixes his marriage with the daughter (Yamini Bhaskar) of a Rayalaseema leader.
To avert this marriage, he tells them that hes gay. Then he lands in a situation where he gets proposal from a man. This twist leads to more drama
A protagonist behaving like someone else to marry the girl of his choice when he is forced to stay in the villains house has been rehashed in many movies. That was the regular theme for many of Sreenu Vaitlas movies. Naga Shauryas Narthanasala brings back the same plotline. Its just the main protagonist acts gay to avoid getting married.
Spoilers ahead. The films entire plot hinges on an interval bang hero getting proposal from another guy. A twist that definitely has novelty but instead of handling it sensitively or with a good dose of humor, the new director has made it into an outdated Sreenu Vaitlas movie replete with farcical scenes and forced comedy sequences.
Jayaprakash Reddy who plays the father of Yamini Bhaskar keeps on calling the hero as pothram (a derogatory word used for homosexual). Then heros naval is regularly squeezed by the guy who proposed him. This is shown as gay romance
Entire second half happens in Jayaprakash Reddys house. All nonsensical events happen here. Scenes like Jayaprakash Reddy sleepwalking, a drunkard relative asking guests to give him 1000 rupees to enter into the scene, Shivaji Raja doing maryada to his sons gay boyfriend.
Adding more trauma to the audience, Shivaji Raja, who has played hers father, yells Hey Krishna and a pundit appears into the scene and they have silly conversation.
In the middle of the second half, heros friend says I am feeling like I am doing asanas on top of a volcano. Audiences feel the same when the proceedings reach this point.
Except for couple of songs, there is nothing worth talking about. The new directors old school of narration and bland comedy makes this movie hard to sit through.
On the whole, Narthanasala is full of idiotic comedy scenes with bland narration. This is not for the people who seek some decent comedy.