Oka Manasu - Movie Review

What's it about
A doctor Sandhya (Niharika) falls in love with a youngster Surya (Naga Shourya) who aspires to be a politician. Surya lands in a police case over a minor scuffle. To tide over the problems, Surya's father agrees to one plan. According to that plan, Surya decides to break his relationship with Sandhya. What happens next?

Analysis

“People say love has no death. Then what prompts lovers to die for each other. How that idea gets a birth in their mind?,” heroine Niharika asks hero Naga Shourya in one scene. The movie’s basic thread lies in this statement.

This concept of 'loving one person in one birth of life' may either sound too romantic or too archaic idea depending on one's nature. The heroine in the movie aches for merging her heart with her lover. "Absolve me in you. There shouldn't be my existence but be in you," she says before they consummate their love. Such profound thoughts abound in director Rama Raju's second movie, 'Oka Manasu'.

In his debut movie ‘Mallela Teeramlo Sirimalle Puvvu’, director Rama Raju dealt a story of a woman who is married to businessman against her wishes falling in love with a young lyricist. He has now told a story of a doctor who has unconditional love for a temperamental young politician. A love story with anti-climax.

Set in the backdrop of Vishakapatnam, ‘Oka Manasu’ is a musical love story that is quite different from regular love stories that we often see on Telugu screen. In the first half of the movie, the director focuses on how the hero and heroine meet and fall in love, pining for each other and trying to drift way and meeting again. Not much happens in the first half, but post interval it gets into the groove.

Like in old novels of Chalam, the heroine doesn't change her mind despite many problems. One wonders how a heroine who is practicing doctor takes drastic decision in the end. Her character seems either too blinded by love or has lack of maturity. There is too much of conversation between the lead pair and the conversation fails to impress and they never really draws you in.

Niharika Konidela makes confident debut as actress. She has carried it off with ease but needs some more experience to carry the movie on her shoulders. She has carried it off with ease. Naga Shourya has fitted the role to the T in the role of a young politician. This is his best work. The chemistry between the lead pair is worth mentioning.

Rao Ramesh as Naga Shourya’s father is perfect. Vennela Kishore's comedy track doesn't work. Avasarala and Pragathi fail to make a mark. Sunil Kashyap’s mellifluous songs are integrated into the narration beautifully. Of the songs “Ninna Lenantha”, “Emito Ee Kshanam”, “O Manasa” are differently sounded lilting songs. They are used as a background score, not like regular songs in the movies.

Ram Reddy’s camera work is beautiful. He has captured the picturesque Vizag in colorful frames. Production values are pretty good. But editing work leaves a lot to be desired. It needs lot of trimming.

As a writer and director, Rama Raju has shown his mark that he makes movies in his style, little caring about the conventional or commercial aspects. He seems to have bent of poetic mind, and his style of direction seem too oldish these days. Some of his dialogues are impressive, though.

Bottom line: 'Oka Manasu' is an idealistic love story told in slow pace manner. The father-son thread and the climax episodes shine in the film apart from the lead pair's good chemistry. On the whole, it is a mixed bag - a bit of poetic touch, a bit of old-fashioned scenes.