Okkamogadu--review

Okka mogadu

Starring: Balakrishna, Anushka, Simran,Nisha Kothari and others

Director: YVS Choudhary

Music: Mani Sarma

Release fate: 11/01/2008

Okkamogadu is of, by and for Balakrishna. Director YVS Choduhary has put in more efforts to show Balakrishna in the most macho way possible but along the way he did not concentrate much on the script and the screenplay. The film reminds one of Bharatteyudu to a large extent and also Aparichithidu to a considerable extent.

Story:

Veera Vekata Sathyanrayana Swamy (Balakrishna) is a young man who lives with his aged grandmother. He is good-natured and comes to the aid of the needy. He takes on a powerful minister when he gives shelter to the runaway son of the minister who wants to marry a girl from a modest background.

As the young Balakrishna is fighting with the minister at one level, another person named Okkamogadu takes on the wrongdoers in the society. The CBI is after his trail. Finally they trace him to Venkatapuram.

This is shown as a flashback. Rajaram is a doctor in a small village. His younger brothers and sisters are brutally killed by the British army soldiers. This forces him to take up arms and put an end to their atrocities. Simran raises her voice against the British and is disrobed in public by a British officer. Rajaram saves her and later marries her. Rajarm gets the title of 'Okkamogadu' for his valour and fearless crusade against the British.

The rest of the story is about how 'Okkamaogadu' takes on the corrupt and inefficient people in the society.

Performance:

Balakrishna plays a dual role, as grandfather and grandson. The grandson has nothing much to do expect break into a dance with Nisha Kortthari and Anushka. He also gets to mouth some powerful dialogues and show off his trademark mannerism. The senior Balakrishna's martial art fights in the climax are good and have been executed very well. Anushka sizzles in her brief role. Her role is limited to dreaming about Balakrishna all the time and take part in three dance sequences with him. Simran is adequate in her role of a devoted wife of a revolutionary freedom fighter. Nisha Kotahri also does not have much of a role and is completely overshadowed by the gorgeous Anushka.

There is hardly any comedy. Raghu Babu plays the usual role of the sidekick of the bad guy.

The song 'Okkamogadu' with Anushka and 'Pattucheera…' with Anushka and Nisha Kothari are fast numbers and get some response from the audience.

Dialogus like "Iragadeestha", "Okasaari Modaledithe inka aapanu", "Naaku Modalu Pettadamae gaani aapadam teliyadu" bring some claps and whistles.

Balayya's getup as an old 'Okkamogadu' is a take off from Kamal Haasan in Bharateeyudu.

The film runs very slowly in the first half. The major part of the second half is like a period film about freedom struggle. Simran's song with 'Okkamogadu' after their marriage tests the patience of the audience and only helps to prolong the agony. The audience wait ant wait for something to happen, but unfortunately, their wait is futile. There is no big bang and the film ends tamely with a predictable climax.