Oopiri - Movie Review

What’s it about!

A billionaire Vikram Aditya (Nagarjuna) runs a business empire although he is quadriplegic. Leading life on a wheelchair, he wants to have a caregiver who can be trustworthy and energetic. After interviewing many, with the help of his secretary (Tamannah) he picks up a guy with mass attitude Sreenu (Karthi) for this job. Sreenu moves in to Vikram Aditya’s residence. With his good nature, jest for life and adventure, Sreenu changes the life of Vikram Aditya and becomes this billionaire’s mate.  Along the journey some turns, some back stories are also revealed. 

Analysis 

Based on French film ‘The Intouchables’ (2011), ‘Oopiri’ tells the story of two persons belonging to two different strata’s of society coming to know the real essence of life and celebrating it. While the original movie is focused on the relationship between an aristocratic Parisian and a black immigrant, the story of ‘Oopiri’ centers on a rich Telugu guy and an awara kind of guy from Hyderabad. 

The story and the screenplay is changed slightly by director Vamshi Paidipally and writers team to suit the tastes of the Telugu audiences but the main plot and spirit has remained the same.

The beauty of the story lies in the situations that develop camaraderie between the two individuals who have nothing in common. Plenty of humour is created between them. The film grows on as the story progresses. In the penultimate stages of the movie, you really get great feeling about life, friendship and love.

Many scenes stand out in the film…

1. The scene where Karthi’s sister finds the real side of him when Tanikella  Bharani comes to their home

2. The painting sequence is hilarious and intelligent

3. Nagarjuna meeting the special person in his life in Paris in the second half

4. The climax moments

As wine becomes tastier with the age, Nagarjuna is becoming the best as an  actor as the years passing. In ‘Manam’, we had seen the mature performance of  Nagarjuna. Two years later we are seeing him in this beautiful act as a quadriplegic. A star like Nagarjuna accepting this role itself is a sign of matured  thinking. Moving only face, Nagarjuna communicates varied emotions. A tough job indeed, but he has pulled it off so well. 

The movie is about Nag and Karthi. And Karthi scores in a major way. He is the strength to this emotional ride. Karthi in his first straight Telugu film gives his best in this role which has required him to show the variation of a guy with low class nature in the beginning of the story and high maturity as the story progresses. He is exceptional in emotional sequences. He has also got his Telugu right.

Tamannah is beautiful and she is good. Prakash Raj, Kalpana and Jayasudha the seasoned actors have excelled. Prakash Raj appears for a brief time but he has once again shown what a matured actor he is. Anushka, Gabriella Demetriades and Adivi Sesh appear in brief credible roles. 

The movie is drenched with rich frames. Cinematographer P S Vinod capturing the nature in all its beauty, he lends to the mood of the movie when Nagarjuna is discovering life other than the suffocating environs of his palace. The movie was shot in Paris and Belgrade in rich manner (high production values by PVP Cinema). Gopi Sundar’s music is soothing and carries the mood. “Okate Life..” song is beautiful. A crispier editing would have been better, some unnecessary moments are there. 

The film has some beautiful lines written by Abburi Ravi and Hari. Director Vamsi Paidipally has grown as director with this movie. Known for directing action dramas with big heroes, he has shown his command over sentiment scenes and humor. Not only bringing out the best performances, and  maintaining the film’s story on right balance between comedy and sentiments, he has done the best. As a director, he has strengthened his position. This is his best work to date. 

Bottom-line!

‘Oopiri’ is heart-warming drama with many soothing and highly emotional moments. Aided by class performance from the lead actors and rich visuals, the movie entertains till the end. Based on highly appreciated French film ‘The Intocuhables’, the film is an uplifting dramedy. Best adaptation of the French movie . Go for it.