Film: Oopiri
Cast: Nagarjuna, Karthi, Tamannaah
Director: Vamshi Paidipally
Rating:
Opposites attract. We have often seen how two people, who are poles apart, still manage to fall for each other. In Vamshi Paidipally's bilingual film Oopiri (Thozha in Tamil), two individuals from completely contrasting backgrounds manage to strike a chord with each other, to the extent that they become inseparable. No, it's not romance -- it's bromance! The chemistry between the lead actors Nagarjuna and Karthi is palpable as they pull this movie together and take the viewers on a wonderful journey.
Sreenu (Karthi) is a petty thief who gets out of jail on parole and is on the hunt for a job after his mother (Jayasudha) throws him out of his home. Given his rebellious, disorderly nature, Sreenu struggles to find himself a job until he chances upon billionaire Vikram Aditya's (Nagarjuna) huge bungalow. Vikram is on the hunt for a caretaker who doesn't show him any sympathy. As he struggles to find a suitable candidate, in walks Karthi and flirts with his secretary Keerthi (Tamannaah) and throws all forms of social skills and basic etiquette out of the window. An impressed Nag offers him the job and the drama begins. How Vikram and Sreenu turn from complete strangers to inseparable friends, how Keerthi, who detests Sreenu, manages to fall in love with him, and why Vikram runs away from the people who love him -- makes for the rest of the story.
The director stays true to the script, an adaptation of French film The Intouchables, and despite few changes to suit the Telugu audience, the film breezes along at a healthy pace. Packed with humour, Oopiri has its fair share of entertaining moments. PS Vinod does a good job with the cinematography, while Gopi Sundar's music impresses in parts.
The screenplay could've been tighter and the film does lose pace in the second half and stretches on unnecessarily. The climax too does seem a bit forced and predictable and there are a few sequences which could've been avoided (especially in the second half). Dialogues, however, were impressive and were delivered with a sense of subtlety. The whole film seemed like a conversation, which is refreshing.
Wheelchair-bound Akkineni Nagarjuna delivers one of his finest performances till date. For someone who stays in a wheelchair right through the movie, Nag emotes beautifully. His frustration and suffocation is shown remarkably. Nag's laughter, his desire for adventure, his constant mood-swings and his thirst for romance -- is well highlighted in this film, which shows his versatility as an actor. Karthi has made a stunning Tollywood entry with Oopiri. His comic-timing and dialogue delivery is outstanding. The young actor goes toe-to-toe with Nagarjuna and perfectly complements the superstar. Tamannaah gets little scope to shine in a film where the lead actors take centre-stage, but the actress impresses in parts. Having dubbed her voice for the first time in Telugu, Tamannaah pulls it off quite well. Prakash Raj is terrific in a supporting role, while Tanikella Bharani shines in a brief cameo.
Oopiri doesn't wow you or leave you gasping for breath, but it does entertain you wholeheartedly. Terrific performances, great visuals and a novel script makes it worth a watch. Go for it!