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Thank God: A Fantasy Ride That You Won’t Mind Hopping On

Indra Kumar’s Thank God is an attempt at creating a make believe world that wants to entertain, as well as give a message. This is a difficult tightrope and the dramatic bits don’t completely land but still there is no denying that Thank God is a film that leaves you in a good mood. For those who are not aware Thank God is based on the Danish social comedy Sorte Kugler.

Ayaan Kapoor (Siddarth Malhotra) is a bankrupt real estate agent married to a cop played by Rakul Preet Singh. Ayaan is someone who has many flaws. He has anger management issues, low self-esteem, and doesn’t get along well with either his wife or the daughter. Additionally he is very jealous and adores Nora Fatehi as a fantasy figure. One day, he meets with an accident. Instead of waking up in a hospital room he wakes up to afterlife. Indra Kumar’s version of afterlife consists of a giant stadium full of people who would be judging him in a game show called The Game of life. The host is C.G shortcut for Chitragupt (A flamboyant Ajay Devgan). If Ayaan gets enough white balls he would be sent back to be resurrected. However, abundance of black balls would mean hell.

What follows is a roller coaster journey where Ayaan has no other option other than to win this Game of life. There are many life lessons along the way presented in the format of an escapist fantasy.

The best parts of Thank God are easily the interactions between Ajay Devgan and Siddarth Malhotra. The one liners of Ajay will leave you in splits. The first half has lot of situational humor. Thankfully Indra Kumar stays away from making it a vulgar comedy. One of my favorite bits in the first half is when Siddarth Malhotra tries to bring his inner Singham but ends up failing miserably. There is also a KBC reference when Ajay Devgan talks about how a superstar had come here once, and took the idea of his game and adapted it as KBC.

Another good thing about Thank God is how the director portrays the transformative journey of Ayaan. The way CG makes Ayaan relive episodes from his own life make the drama more interesting.

The gradual progression in his character and how he learns to appreciate the good happenings in his life and letting go off the bad has been well portrayed.

Thank God heavily relies on the shoulders of Ajay Devgan and Siddarth Malhotra and both don’t disappoint. Siddarth Malhotra is successful in capturing the different shades of Ayaan. This is the first time that Siddarth has tried his hand at a situational comedy and the actor does a pretty good job. The scenes in the first half where he pretends to be a broker in order to sell his bungalow are hilarious to say the least.

Ajay Devgan makes for the perfect modern Chitragupt. The actor is a delight to watch as the all knowing game host who has nothing but the best interests of the contestants at heart. You can clearly see that Ajay is having a ball.

Rakul Preet Singh is good as a devoted wife but suffers majorly due to a one note characterization. Like numerous female characters in this year Rakul ends up being a prop later on. More scenes between Siddarth and Rakul would have enhanced the romantic portions. The talented Seema Pahwa is also relegated to the backseat.

The music is more situational but thankfully the songs do not come across as speed breakers. The song Manike filmed on Siddarth and Nora Fatehi is easily the best song in the album.

Final word: Watch Thank God for some lighthearted moments and if you are in the mood for some life lessons.

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Four Women And Alia

On a rainy night in Mumbai’s Kamatipura area an unusual get together happened.

It was in a restaurant called Princess Plaza.

Badru was sitting at the cash counter when Gangubai walked in.

I am sure you know Badru; the battered wife in the movie Darlings. Now she started a restaurant after her cruel husband Hamza died in a train accident; when the entire nation heaved a sigh of relief. In Mumbai, I suppose, that is the easiest way to get rid of bad guys. But to be fair to Badru she did not push him under the wheels though she thought of it many times. It is he who got knocked down by a speeding train on his own accord while standing on the rail tracks shouting and threatening his wife till his last breadth. One thing is certain. He left at the right time; because if he had continued to live with Badru one of us would have definitely gone and smashed his head.

Coming back to the present Badru is now financially and emotionally a very happy person. On the third anniversary of the restaurant she decided to invite Gangubai, Veera and Bauria aka Mary Jane to her restaurant and spend some time with them. She wanted to know a few things from them.

In few minutes Veera and Bauria also joined them. They seemed to have met at the railway station. One was coming from Himalayas and the other from Goa. Both of them looked quite cheerful. There was an air of enthusiasm and anticipation in everyone’s face. Badru warmly invited them and after a round of introductions they sat down for a chat.

Snacks and chai followed with some light banter. After a while Gangubai asked Badru why she arranged this meeting. Badru looked at all of them and said “Any guesses?”

“All of us suffered in life for no fault of ours. Maybe you wanted to know how each one of us is coping with it now.” Veera was the first one to speak. She seemed to have given a lot of thought about the purpose of this meeting.

“Of course… that is one of the reasons. But did you ever think of whose faults we all suffered” replied Badru.

 “I am not very educated like some of you. But I can say that we women are also very gullible. Why did I elope with a man whom I hardly knew and leave my house? In my obsession to become an actor, a heroine I neglected my safety and paid the price” said Gangubai.

 “You might think it was your fault. But for many women like me there is no choice. My father died. I had no one look after me. I had to migrate for work. How would I guess I will land up with rapists and drug mafia? Many things are not in our hands” Bauria said.

 “True. Look at me. I am from a rich family. Ideally I should not have had any serious problems. But see what happened. My own uncle sexually abused me. I was a child. Even my mother could not protect me. The man who accidentally kidnapped me was much more decent than my own uncle” Veera recollected her ordeal.

Badru was silent for a long time. Then she looked at each one of them intensely. Slowly she started to speak.

 “For Veera it was her uncle. For Gangubai it was her lover. For me it was my husband. For Bauria it was the outside male world. I feel we are not safe anywhere – inside home or outside; with anyone – family or outsiders. Swimming in oceans and climbing high mountains are considered great achievements. People don’t realise we are no less achievers. We are the SURVIVORS of male cruelty. We are the ones who should be shown to the suffering girls and women of this country as the real role models, at least until the society changes for the better. I wish no woman should think of taking her life after seeing how we shaped our lives. I invited all of you to celebrate our new life.”

They looked at each other and broke into laughter. They all seem to agree with the new term they coined for themselves. “Let us change the name of this restaurant to Survivors and invite all our fellow survivors to this place” laughed Gangubai.

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Godfather: The Return Of Chiranjeevi

Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Lucifer was a competent political thriller within the realms of what is considered mainstream in Malayalam. Mohanlal’s charisma was one of the primary reasons that the film worked. Vivek Oberoi was also terrific as the bad guy. Prithviraj Sukumaran’s direction wasn’t flawless but still the actor director did a good job in capturing the socio-political scenario.

Mohan Raja’s Godfather on the other hand is a massier version of Lucifer. There are ample slow mo shots of Chiranjeevi accompanied by a thundering background score of S. Thaman. There are punch dialogues which are aimed to make the fans happy. But at the same time Mohan Raja makes sure that the film hasn’t got any unnecessary subplots like a forced romantic track or a crude comic subplot.

Much like Lucifer here too the political drama keeps you invested. It also immensely helps that young actor Satyadev makes for more than a worthy antagonist to Chiranjeevi, this is something which I will elaborate on later.

Godfather begins at an Interpol facility in France where a high- ranking agent hands over a confidential case of an elusive mastermind Abraham Quershi to another agent. From here we move to India where PKR, the supreme leader of a political party is no more. The death of PKR has sent the state into a crisis and a new leader must be elected. The key players in this musical game of chairs are introduced by director Puri Jagannadh making his acting debut as investigative journalist Govardhan.

Brahma (played by Chiranjeevi) is an intelligent and popular leader among the masses and is also the backbone of the deceased CM. This ideally should make him the perfect candidate. However senior leader Narayana Varma (Murali Sharma) and PKR’s son-in-law Jaidev (Satyadev Kancharana) have other plans. Additionally PKR’s daughter Satyapriya (Nayanathara) is also thrown into the mix. There is also Salman Khan in a swashbuckling extended cameo as Masoom Bai, although there is nothing masoom that the actor is doing here.

The best thing about Godfather is how director Mohan Raja sets up the plot. It keeps you hooked. There are many unexpected twists and turns regarding the supporting characters that keep you glued to the screen. The best examples of these are the characters essayed by Sunil and Shafi. Initially we see that Sunil and Shafi are working for Chiranjeevi and Satyadev respectively. However there is a twist in a tale that you don’t see coming.

The director also deserves credit for how he showcases Chiranjeevi as a mature politician. Chiranjeevi hasn’t got many dialogues but the actor still packs a punch with his eyes. His screen presence and settled performance is a treat to watch.

NAYANTHARA BRINGS A CERTAIN DEPTH TO HER ROLE.

The emotional bits featuring Chiranjeevi and Nayanathara will also move you. Nayanthara brings a certain depth to her role. It is not a part with a wide arch but it is to the credit of Nayanthara’s acting talent that you root for Satyapriya.

However the biggest strength of Godfather is easily Satyadev as the antagonist. The way he holds his own opposite Chiranjeevi is remarkable to say the least. He is the major reason why this political tussle never feels one sided.

The interactions between Chiranjeevi and Satyadev are terrific to watch. The best example of this is the jail episode where Satyadev taunts Brahma. This film should ideally open new doors for this talented actor.

AS MASOOM BHAI THE ACTOR CLEARLY HAS A BALL, EVEN THOUGH HIS FACE HAS BEEN CLEARLY DE-AGED.

The entry of Salman Khan is also perfectly timed. As Masoom Bhai the actor clearly has a ball, even though his face has been clearly de-aged. The climax fight where Chiranjeevi and Salman take on baddies is a treat for the fans.

The film has also got some well written political moments particularly in the first half. Puri Jagannadh as the investigative journalist is successful in representing those who are frustrated with corrupt politicians.

Godfather isn’t without its flaws. The second half is comparatively less interesting and the likes of Murali Sharma etc could have been used better. Also the music of Thaman is a big downer. The background score is definitely a banger but there are times where it swells too much.

Final word: Godfather is a welcome return to form for Chiranjeevi after the debacle of Acharya. It is an enjoyable political ride even if you have seen Lucifer.

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Vikram Vedha: A Solid Remake Powered By A Terrific Hrithik Roshan

Remakes are always a tricky business, more so when you are remaking Tamil and Malayalam films. The reason being both these industries have a certain grammar of storytelling. Having said that the Tamil and Malayalam industries have also butchered acclaimed Hindi films like Special Chabbis and Andhadhun respectively, earlier this year Siddarth Sen did a wonderful job in remaking Nelson Dilipkumar’s Kolamaavu Kokila. The director retained the core but at the same time upgraded it as well by setting it in Bihar.

Gayatri Puskhar’s Vikram Vedha is considered to be a classic and rightly so. The director duo used the Vikram and Betal analogy to create a new kind of cop versus gangster film. In the Tamil film Madhavan had played Vikram and Vijay Sethupati was Vedha. Vikram is a cop who has a very clear boundary of what is right and wrong. But his life turns upside down after the entry of the dreaded gangster Vedha. Vedha makes Vikram question his beliefs each time that they meet. The questions of Vedha form the crux of this multi layered story. The engaging narration coupled with Madhavan and Vijay Sethupati’s performances made this thriller an engrossing watch.

Much like the recent remakes here too you have original directors helming the project. The setting of the Hindi one changes from Chennai to Lucknow. The plot is largely the same expect that you have a fresh set of actors, Saif Ali Khan as Vikram and Hrithik as Vedha respectively. The character of Vedha in this one is also a bit massier compared to the original. Vikram also comes with his own set of quirks.

Much like the original the biggest strength of this too lies in the equation that the lead characters share. Both Hrithik and Saif get equal opportunities to shine. Yes Hrithik has the meatier part but Saif also stands his own as the cop who is forced to question his own morals. He particularly shines in the confrontation scenes with Hrithik. There is also some sly humor which the makers have added and the actor delivers it to perfection.

However there is no denying that Hrithik Roshan is the star of the show. As earlier said his role is massier compared to Vijay Sethupati and this works in the favor of the film.  As Vedha, Hrithik lets his eyes do most of the talking. His facial features and body language are a delight to watch. Hrithik is effortlessly menacing, ruthless and yet extremely emotional in parts. The Greek God looks have sometimes come in the way of people acknowledging the actor’s insane talent but with this role Hrithik firmly reestablishes his position as an actor/star who is not afraid to push the bar.  Much like the remake of Amitabh Bachchan’s Agneepath here too Hrithik makes Vedha his own. It is a treat to watch the actor embrace this rugged avatar.

The setting of Lucknow also gives the film a different touch. The director duo of Gayatri and Pushkar have done a good job in making sure that the localities of Lucknow are also an integral part of the story.  

The action scenes have also been choreographed well. My favorite bit is the pre-interval block where the police are searching for Vedha and you have Vedha escaping to a container yard. The confrontation that follows is a treat to watch.

Vedha’s emotional bond with his younger brother Shatak (Rohit Saraf) is also neatly done. It is not as effective as the Tamil original but still it does tuck at your heartstrings. Rohit Saraf is a great choice for the role. He brings in that required innocence. Special mention to also Sharab Hashmi, he stands out in the supporting cast as the ambitious sidekick. Radhika Apte hasn’t got a lot to do as Vikram’s wife with a different set of ideology, but their scenes are still good to watch

Coming to the flaws Yogita Bihani comes across as a weak link. Her love story with Shatak comes across a speed breaker unlike the original where Varalakshmi SaratKumar aced the same part. You also wish the makers had dwelled a bit more into the workings of the UP Police.

Final word- Vikram Vedha is a largely satisfactory reworking that does justice to the original. Hrithik Roshan is the garnishing that adds more flavor and makes it an appetizing meal.

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Ponniyan Selvan Part 1 – More Of A Docu Drama Than A Historical Epic

The genre of big scale epics has seen a huge revival thanks to filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, SS Rajamouli and even Ashutosh Gowariker to an extent. The likes of Bajirao Mastani, Bahubali 1 and 2 and Jodha Akbar have created a deep impact in the audiences mind. With Ponniyin Selvan Part 1 legendary director Mani Ratnam attempts a genre which he has never done in the past. For those who are not aware the movie is based on a novel by the same name. Since I have not read the novel I will be purely judging the movie as a standalone piece.

Ponniyin Selvan tries to be a gripping combination of thrills, intrigue and emotions.  However, in its effort to be plot heavy the film ends up being neither here nor there, particularly for the Telugu and Hindi audiences.

The story is majorly centered on the character of Vanthiyathevan (Karthi) he is entrusted by Aditya Karikaaludu (Vikram) with the task of delivering important messages to Karikaaludu’s father and sister (Prakash Raj and Trisha respectively). As per the messages plans are being laid out by princely kings to bring down the Chola Empire. Vanithiyathevan’s duty is to find out what are the evil plans and who are hell bent on tarnishing the glory of the Chola Empire. Aishwarya Rai plays princess Nandini. Nandini is someone who comes with a mysterious past, this mysterious past is connected to Karikaaludu. Other important characters include Jayam Ravi as Ponniyin Selvan.

What follows is a complex drama that is hard to keep up with.

One of the few redeeming factors of PS-1 is some of the performances starting with Karthi. The actor is a delight to watch whenever he is on screen. His comic timing and the general energy that he brings to the screen is something that uplifts the film at many places. His interactions with both Aishwarya and Trisha bring a smile to your face.

Vikram as Karikaaludu has less screen time but the actor’s intense performance is a treat to watch. Jayram Ravi makes his entry in the second half but the actor makes his presence amply felt.

Both Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Trisha look like million bucks thanks to director Mani Ratnam and the costumes by Eka Lakhani. Mani Ratnam along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali are one of those few directors who best understand how to use Aishwarya. Here too Mani Ratnam casts her smartly as the enigmatic queen with her own secrets.

Cinematography by Ravi Varman also goes perfectly with the requirement of the film. He does a good job in showing the grandeur of Cholas through his lens. The production design by Thota Tharrani also adds to the richness of the frames.

The biggest issue with Ponnin Selvan- 1 is the numerous subplots integrated into the story by the director. Too many things are happening simultaneously and as a result it is difficult to catch up the plot.

The film is also filled with many characters that don’t make any impact whatsoever. Perfect examples of these are ones played by Prakash Raj, Sarat Kumar and Rehman.

The film’s editing is also subpar as the drama moves at a very slow pace, particularly in the second half. Some of the scenes are way too lengthy. A perfect example of this is the climax where Karthi and Jayam Ravi take upon some villains. The fight scene happens in a ship with thundering rain as a backdrop. It is definitely jaw dropping but this action block goes on way too long. Because of this the cliff hanger at the end doesn’t really make an impact.

Music by AR Rahman is pleasant but nothing spectacular. It is nowhere close to their previous associations.

Final word: Watch PS-1 if you are a fan of Mani Ratnam or you like slow paced historical dramas. The rest can give it a skip.

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Chup: A Cautionary Message For Film Critics

R Balki is someone who is known for his audacious ideas. For example in Ki and Ka Arjun Kapoor played a homemaker while Kareena on the other hand was the working woman. The film challenged the gender stereotypes. In Padman Akshay kumar’s character puts on a sanitary pad and squats several times to get an understanding about whether the pad is fitting or not. With the exception of Paa and to an extent Cheeni Kum Balki’s films have never been successful at the box office but there is no denying the ‘inventiveness’ of his films.

With his latest Chup the director goes into a very dark alley. Films about serial killers have been made in the past too. Case in point being Mohit Suri’s EK Villain and the sequel EK Villain Returns. However Balki gives his unique touch here by focusing on dishonest movie critics. The film is also a love letter to the legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt’s films, particularly his last one Kaagaz Ke Phool, a film that was panned severely at the time of its release, only to be acknowledged as a classic after the death of Guru Dutt.

Chup begins off with a gruesome murder of a film critic that begins a chain of events. This serial killer is not after all film critics but only a select few. The commonality in the killings is that all have stars etched on their forehead in the shape of a triangle. Sunny Deol plays inspector Arvind Mathur. Aravind is trying to figure out the motive behind these murders. Parallel to this you have a young entertainment reporter Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary). She starts falling in love for her neighborhood florist Danny (Dulqer Salman). Nila is someone who is immensely passionate about films and wants to be a critic herself one day. In the beginning this parallel track may seem unrelated but soon enough you realize the importance of this subplot.

First and foremost Chup isn’t really a suspense drama as the identity of the killer is revealed to the audiences just before the interval. The focus here is more on the psychology of the killer and why he is doing what he is doing. R Balki does a splendid job in exploring the psyche of the killer (maybe he took some of his own angst here).

The cat and mouse game between the Inspector and the killer keeps you completely invested. The director gives equal importance to both the men.

The romantic angle between Dulqer and Shreya has also been smartly juxtaposed into the main plot by the director. Nila’s profession also hugely helps in this. Dulqer and Shreya share a warm chemistry, and their romance is very poetic in nature. You wish that they had a happy ending.

As earlier said the film is also homage to Guru Dutt. The many references to Guru Dutt take the story forward and make the character of Dulqer’s Danny more interesting, even though you don’t agree with his methods. The dialogues make you chuckle at several places and also leaves you thinking, particularly if you are an aspiring film critic.

The cinematography by Vishal Sinha also deserves appreciation with special mention to the scenes featuring Dulqer and Shreya.

There is no denying that Balki makes a strong point on how a critic should judge a film for the content and the emotion it evokes and not put their own biases in the review. But killing them to put the message across is taking it a little too far. At the same time you wish the director had put some focus on the community of the filmmakers and their responsibilities as well. There are some logical glitches too, for example we are not clearly shown how the killer is able to kidnap people out of their homes and kill them at different sites. Particularly given that he only owns a bicycle but these are trivial aspects that don’t majorly come in the way of the movie watching experience.

Chup has one of the most unlikely ensembles that you will ever see and each actor knocks it out of the park. Over the years Dulqer has established his niche in not just the Malayalam Industry but also in the other industries that he has worked. His role of Danny has to be the darkest character that the actor has ever played, and Dulqer delivers a stellar performance. He does a stupendous job in bringing alive Danny’s extreme fondness for Guru Dutt and why he identifies with the filmmaker so much. There is a scene in the end where he poses like Guru Dutt in Pyaasa and it is a sight that you are not likely to forget. It is hard to believe that this is the same man who played the romantic lieutenant in Sita Ramam.

Sunny Deol has played a cop in the past too but here the characterization is very different from the commercial films that he did earlier. Sunny is successful in bringing alive the honesty and the desperation of Aravind to catch the killer. The actors screen presence is solid as ever. Pooja Bhatt is also a delight to watch as the psychiatrist even though she doesn’t have a lot of screen time. The same applies to Tamil actress Sharanya playing Nila’s mother.

Final word: Watch Chup for the sheer audacity that R Balki brings to the table and also for some winsome performances.

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Jogi: Diljit Dosanjh Excels In This Important Retelling Of The Atrocities On Sikhs

The sufferings of the Sikh community in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star is easily one of the most harrowing chapters in the history of India, both Gulzar and Shonali Bose delivered heartbreaking films with Maachis and Ammu respectively, you have also had the web series Grahan that was critically acclaimed. Abbas Ali Zafar’s Jogi is an attempt at revisiting those dark times. Abbas Ali Zafar is someone who is known for a certain style of storytelling which is more commercial in nature, case in point being Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai, Gunday etc. With the web series Tandav the director tried something different but the attempt wasn’t so successful.

With Jogi the director takes a subject that needs a sensitive treatment. Jogi isn’t exactly a Maachis or an Ammu but it still makes an impact.

The film begins off by showing a happy family planning to celebrate their nephews’ birthday. Diljit Dosanjh plays Joginder fondly called Jogi. It is the evening of October 31st, 1984. The opening scene foreshadows what is going to happen next. You know that the nephew’s birthday is not going to happen. Right after this we are shown how the city erupts in riots, with the then Prime Minister being shot dead by her two Sikh bodyguards.  Jogi’s family suffers a personal tragedy as the brother-in-law is set ablaze in a shop. On the other hand the councilor of the Trilokpuri constituency Tejpal Arora (Kumud Mishra) wants to exploit this horrific situation for his own political gains.

He orders the policemen to eliminate the Sikhs from that locality. One of those policemen is the honest cop Ravinder Chautala (Mohmmad Zeeshan Ayyub). Ravinder however decides to help Jogi and his family. But Jogi on the other hand wants to save the entire neighborhood and not just his family. The two of them take the help of the third friend Kaleem Ansari  (Paresh Pahuja) who comes forward without any hesitation. There is also Hiten Tejwani as Lali Katyal. He wants to take revenge on Jogi for his own personal reasons. What follows is a survival drama that gives an important message on religious harmony and the importance of friendship and togetherness.

Abbas Ali Zafar keeps you hooked right from the start and does a successful job in making you root for Jogi. There are no long drawn out back stories of the characters. The film gets right into the issue at hand. The director also takes a bold move by setting the story in the national capital, this makes the film even more hard hitting.

The characters and the way they have written also makes Jogi stand out. The friendship between Jogi, Ravinder, and Kaleem and how the other two stand up for Jogi through thick and thin gives the film some of its best moments. One of the most disturbing moments in the film involves Diljit cutting his hair in order to escape from the rioters. Laal Singh Chaddha featuring Aamir also had a scene where Mona Singh does the same thing in order to save her son, but here this scene hits in a different way.

Some of the closes up shots are difficult to watch but at the same time it does make the film more impactful.

Diljit Dosangh is the perfect casting choice for the title role. There is a certain quality about the actor that makes it easy to root for him. The actor had previously acted in the Punjabi Film 1984 based on a similar subject and that comes in very handy for this. He lets the eyes do most of the talking without any over the top speeches.

Mohmmed Zeeshan Ayyub shines the brightest in the supporting cast. He excels as the police officer who decides to go against his superiors. Kumud Mishra is also suitably evil. The background music by Julius Packiam adds to the tense atmosphere.

The couple of soft spots include the reason for Lalli’s hate towards Jogi. The short flashback feels forcefully inserted and you get the feeling that it doesn’t belong here. The unnecessary love story featuring Diljit and Amyra Dastur slows down the proceedings for a while. It also doesn’t help that Laali has an abrupt change of mind after one lengthy dialogue by Diljit. It would have also been nice if more scenes of Jogi with family were shown.

Final word: Keeping aside the flaws there is no denying that Abbas Ali Zafar reinvents himself with this one.

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Oke Oka Jeevitham: A Good Attempt At Mixing Time Travel And Mother Sentiment

Time Travel as a concept has been much used in western novels and movies. If we talk about Telugu Cinema Aditya 369 directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao was a successful fantasy film. In Oke Oka Jeevitham director Shree Karthik uses time travel as a background to explore the lives of three close friends. The director mixes different genres like science, sentiment, thriller etc. Oke Oka Jeevitham could have been crisper as it does drag in the second half; also Sharwanand comes across as a weak link. But all things considered, Oke Oka Jeevitham has its heart in the right place and is consistently watchable.

Amala brings certain grace to the character of a strong mother

The film begins off with an experiment that a quantum physicist (played by Nassar) conducts along with fellow scientific partner and friend. This experiment is regarding a time machine, but unfortunately for Nassar and his friend it turns out to be a disaster. From there we move to the introduction of Adi (Sharwanand), Sreenu (Vennela Kishore), and Chaitu (Priyadarshi). Each of them has their own set of problems. For example Adi suffers from severe stage fright which is related to the death of his mother (Amala) at an early age. He has lot of passion for music but he starts getting nervous when he is in front of public. Ritu Varma is the supportive girlfriend whose sole purpose is to prod her boyfriend and make him get out of this stage fright (Similar to Ayan Mukerji’s heroines). The father, on the other hand, feels that Adi is wasting his time.

Sharwanand, Akhil Akkineni, Amala and Nagarjuna

Vennela Kishore plays a house agent who constantly regrets on not taking his studies seriously. Unfortunately for Sreenu, his marriage with his uncle’s daughter gets cancelled because of his job status. Chaitu on the other hand is not able to get married; he finds faults with every girl he meets. During his childhood there was a girl who liked him but Chaitu didn’t care for her much. Now that girl has grown into a beautiful woman and is going to get married. It is at this stage that the three friends come into contact with Paul through Sreenu. Paul first convinces Adi to go back in time, after Adi gets convinced Sreenu and Chaitu also decide to join in. Apart from the above mentioned characters there are also three children who play the younger version of Adi, Sreenu and Chaitu. What follows is an emotional drama set against the backdrop of time travel.

Shree Karthick, the director who excelled in mixing time travel

The best thing about Oke Oka Jeevitham are the scenes featuring Amala. Amala brings a certain grace to her part. She does well in her role of a strong mother who cares for her son and tries to help him overcome his shortcomings. She is particularly good in the key emotional bits.

The dialogues by Tharun Bhaskar are another major win for the film. There are a lot of witty-one liners, especially the ones between Vennela Kishore and Priyadarshi. The humor brings a smile to your face. My other favorite bit in the time travel are the scenes where Vennela Kishore pleads with his younger self played by Nithyaraj, to focus on his studies. Both Vennela Kishore and Priyadarshi hold the film afloat and keep you engaged even in the stretchy second half.

Adi, Sreenu and Chaitu characters played by youngsters very ably

The cinematography by Sujith is good as he successfully showcases the difference between the two time zones the 1990’s and 2019. Director Sree Karthik is also successful in integrating the twists and turns which keep you engaged. The scenes featuring the three children are also good, my favorite though is Nityaraj.

Oke Oka Jeevitham fumbles from the middle of the second half where things start getting convoluted. The track of Nassar doesn’t add much to the film beyond a point. He only serves as a catalyst for the three protagonists to overcome their fears and nothing else.

Nitu Varma, the supportive girl friend

The love story between Sharwanand and Ritu Varma is thankfully kept to a minimum but it is something that the makers could have done away with. Sharwanand as Adi is strictly one note in both characterization and performance. The actor looks rather tired and this proves to be a roadblock.

Also the cameo of Ali comes out from nowhere and you are left scratching your heads about why the senior actor is taking up these parts, first Liger and now this.

Final word: Oke Oka Jeevitham is a competent experiment particularly for the audiences of Telugu cinema.