Movie: Okka Kshanam
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Lakshmi Narasimha Entertainments
Cast: Allu Sirish, Surabhi, Avasarala, Seerat Kapoor, Kasi Vishwanath, Rohini, Praveen, Sathya, Dasari Arun Kumar and others
Dialogues: Abburi Ravi
Music: Mani Sharmaa
Cinematography: Shyam K Naidu
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Producer: Chakri Chigurupati
Written and direction: Vi Anand
Release date: Dec 28, 2017
Director Vi Anand's previous movie "Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada" was a surprise hit. The film established him as a promising director to look out for.
His latest film "Okka Kshanam's" teaser raised expectations as it showed that the audience could look forward to yet another different concept.
Let's find out its merits and demerits.
Story:
Jeeva (Allu Sirish) meets Jyotsna (Surabhi) at a parking lot in a shopping mall. Soon love develops between them. While they are hanging out at Jyotsna's apartment, they watch a couple residing in opposite flat quarrelling with each other.
The couple are Srinivas (Avasarala) and Swathi (Seerat). One day, drunken Srinivas narrates how he met his wife at a parking lot in a shopping mall and how love happened between them.
Jeeva realises that the lives of Srinivas and Swathi are intertwined with his and Jyotsna's. Will Jeeva and Jyotsana too end up like them quarrelling after marriage?
Will Jyotsna have suicide tendencies like Swathi?
Artistes’ Performances:
Allu Sirish has improved as an actor marginally compared to his earlier movies. He has come up with better expressions but the story is too big to carry on his slender shoulders.
Surabhi is beautiful and gets a meaty role. She provides lot of glamour by showing off her thunder thighs constantly.
Avasarala's characterisation is weak but he does a neat job in limited space. Seerat Kapoor proves again that she cannot act at all. Praveen and Sathya are good. Dasari Arjun Kumar as main villain is impressive.
Technical Excellence:
The film is mostly shot in an apartment complex and in studio environment. So, the film looks glossy. Camerawork and production values are pretty good.
Dialogue writing is neat. Songs are quite a bore but Manisharma has given right background score.
Highlights:
Concept
Interval bang
Drawback:
Too lengthy
Uneven narration
Analysis
When a director makes a hilarious and engaging ghost thriller like "Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada", audiences expect a lot from his next movies.
Director Vi Anand unravels the theme of "Parallel Lives", a concept that hasn't been explored on Telugu screen, in an appealing manner piquing our interest further.
A young couple in deep love watch a couple who are constantly quarrelling. Later they get to know that the present life of this quarrelling couple will be their future. This is a terrific setup. An interesting premise indeed!
However, the director has failed to capitalise on it after setting up the interval bang nicely.
As the movie progresses further, we get the feel that the director doesn't have much material except for the "single-line concept". After many twists and turns comes a major revelation about Seerat Kapoor's life.
Instead of shocking or convincing us, this revelation turns out to be so tepid. It is like much ado about nothing. (Spoiler) The angle of crimes in private hospitals is a beaten-to-death cause.
Although the film has a shaky start, it grips you as it progresses towards the interval. After such an interesting intermission, the director has loosened the grip.
Moreover, these kind of concept-based movies need better lead actors to carry the story on their shoulders.
One can't expect Allu Sirish to carry the movie given his weak acting talents. Hence, the film turns too bland after a point of time. Also it is too lengthy for a thin plotline. The climax episode gets dragged beyond a point.
"Okka Kshanam" doesn't work in totality though it has interesting concept and gripping moments in the middle. Experienced lead actors would have made a lot of difference to this concept based thriller.
Bottom-line: Limited Appeal