Okka Kshanam Movie Review
Director Anand’s previous film Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada was an acclaimed hit. The talented filmmaker has come up with another interesting thriller Okka Kshanam that has a very interesting premise. Anand made an engaging thriller with the concept of ‘parallel life’, which would surely appeal to people that look for new kind of entertainment.
Story :
Jeeva (Sirish) and Jyotsna (Surabhi) fall in love and the couple comes across another couple Srinivas and Swathi (Srinivas, Seerat) that is going through a troubled marriage. Jeeva and Jo realize that their life is similar to that of Srinivas and Swathi. Intrigued by this they approach a physicist, who tells them about parallel life. He stresses that everything that happens in Swathi’s life will repeat in Jyotsna’s life. Swathi gets killed and Srinivas is arrested. Now Jyotsna fears to be with Jeeva as he could kill her at any point.
Performances:
Allu Sirish did an okay job as the leading man. He is improving with each film, but could have done better. Surabhi also is average with a character that has a lot of potential. Seerat Kapoor is fine and Avasarala Srinivas fits the bill. Praveen, Satya are good in supporting roles. Dasari Arun is okay in an extended cameo.
Technicalities:
VI Anand thrives to deal with different concepts in each film. After trying out horror-comedy, the director has now dealt with the parallel life concept that is totally new for our audience. He weaved a decent romance vs. destiny tale around the concept that keeps the viewers on the edge of the seat. It is yet another impressive film from the director who will surely grab the attention of movie lovers.
Mani Sharma’s background score is very good and elevates the mood of the film. Cinematography by Sam K Naidu is particularly impressive in the second half. Editing could have been crisper as the screenplay lags at times. Production values are decent.
Thumbs Up:
- Concept
- Engaging Second half
- Background music
Thumbs Down:
- Ordinary first half
- Unnecessary comedy bits
- Dragged final sequences
Analysis:
It is not an easy concept to work with but the director VI Anand has made the complex plot work with a simple screenplay that makes it easy to follow. He takes his time to build it up and the initial scenes are not so interesting. In fact most parts in the first half are slightly boring. Things get interesting towards the interval and the second half runs on a breakneck pace until the actual mystery unfolds.
Second half is where the real strength of the film lies as the director connects the dots well and keeps the viewers on the edge of the seat. There are some tense moments that are placed nicely in between to draw full attention of the viewers. However the mystery behind Swathi’s death is very cinematic and unconvincing. Director should have gone for a slick climax rather than a commercialistic climax that drags unnecessarily.
Okka Kshanam isn’t a perfect film, but has a very interesting premise and an engaging second half that is worth a watch. The film is technically slick too. A better first half and convincing final moments would have made it a better film. Having said that Okka Kshanam has enough to separate it from the pack. It is not a usual romance drama although it is basically a love story. Anand also tried to make it a rounded film by adding emotional moments into it. But those aren’t as strong as the conflict itself.
If you are bored of watching the same masala templates and candy romance tales, then Okka Kshanam is the film that is worth betting on. It is one of those rare films where our filmmakers have come up with an out of the box idea. The film may not appeal to the B and C centers audience, but should strike a chord with the urban audience.
Verdict: Worth your time.
