There are many kinds of bad films. Some start on a promising note but inexplicably lose their way, some are so cliched and boring that it tests your patience, while others contain scenes which make you cringe uncomfortably – either due to vulgarity or loudness. Dharma Teja’s Hora Hori is a different kind of bad. Amateurish and flawed – the film disappoints from the first scene to the last.
Basawa (Chaswa), a dreaded gangster, experiences love at first sight the moment he sets his eyes on Mythili (Daksha), as she prepares for her wedding. He immediately decides that the girl is meant for him and tries to win her over by any means necessary.
He arranges for the brutal murder of her groom-to-be and similarly kills all other suitors for her marriage. After witnessing deaths from close quarters, Mythili goes into shock and falls seriously ill. With all medical ailments failing, doctors advise a change of scenery, and she is taken to Agumbe in coastal Karnataka, where she meets Skanda, who miraculously saves her from her condition.
Needless to say, the duo fall in love. However, the romance is short-lived when Basawa comes to town and spots his long-lost love. How the couple manage to escape from the clutches of the gangster and be together, makes for the rest of the story.
From the word go, Hora Hori defies all logic and sense. Needless songs at regular intervals further cripples an already weak narrative. The film is shot in stunning rainy locations in Karnataka and has a nice visual appeal, its only positive. Editing is poor and the first half itself feels like one full movie. Kalyan Koduri’s background score is strictly okay.
For newcomers, lead actors Dileep and Daksha perform their parts well and show promising signs, but are let down by a weak script. Chaswa is also first rate as the antagonist, but ends up as the victim of poor characterisation. Director Teja returns to films after a long time and perhaps a longer break would have done him good as the film falls flat due to lack of creativity and imagination. Teja, in recent interviews, had rued the lack of experimentation in the Telugu film industry, but unfortunately, this experiment fails miserably.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, you could close your eyes and predict how the rest of it unfolds. If you’re seeking entertainment this weekend, reading a novel would be a better rewarding experience.