Okka Ammayi Thappa Review

Okka Ammayi Thappa Review, What’s Behind: There is senior most cinematographer Chota K Naidu behind happening of this OAT for Sundeep Kishan with debutant director Rajasimha Thadinada leading the team from front. Lucky girl Nithya Menon and Mickey J Meyer are other big names attached to this project, produced by Bhogadi Anji Reddy. Let’s see, what the film really had to offer us?

Okka Ammayi Thappa Story: Standing alone on Hi-Tech city fly-over, Krishna Vachan (Sundeep Kishan) narrates his dual pronged story of romance and thrill in life. Krishna Vachan gets separated from his childhood sweet heart Mango (Nithya Menon) during school days. One fine day, he finds her on Hi-Tech city fly-over but by the same time, tension prevails on the same location with a deadly accident halting the traffic. Terrorist mastermind Anwar (Ravi Kishan) uses Krishna Vachan is his remote operation with a bomb-blast plan to get his demand of releasing a jailed terrorist (Rahul Dev) fulfilled. In turn-around of events, how Krishna Vachan and Anwar play their wits out is rest of game. In parallel, Krishna Vachan and Mango again fall in love.

Okka Ammayi Thappa Artists and Technicians: Basic idea of two love birds caught in a traffic jam on a busy fly-over and hero being coercively inserted into a remote terrorist operation sounds quite intriguing on paper. Such concise thrillers are rarely experimented in Telugu and Rajasimha Thadinada took major risk with debut directorial. Alas, the feeble script and helplessness of Rajasimha in mixing weak romance and forcible comedy to make it a commercial thriller went completely awry. He is a messed up writer and director because never audience got proper clarity on his focus. Beginning the narration on a tantalizing point, the ineffectual pull into hero-heroine-hero brother’s childhood flashback is the starting point for his subject dilution. Later on, Rajasimha walked all the way through his confusing path till end. As a director, this is a dismal debut for sure. Dialogues stroked well here and there, especially Thanikella Bharani episode was full of patriotic fervor. Mickey J Meyer’s music is downright a failure. Chota K Naidu used all his seniority, experience to mask the screenplay errors and he has done it to utmost best. CG work was also mediocre. Gowtham Raju’s editing was also not good. On to production values, Bhogadi Anji Reddy made sure that final product appears rich and bright.

About performances, Sundeep Kishan shouldered the whole film. He is almost there in every frame. Trying to pull off the entire show, Sundeep did not get adequate support from writing and direction department. After ‘S/O Sathya Murthy,’ this is one more silliest and mistaken pick from Nithya Menon. She is the central constituent with no scope to perform. Ravi Kishan was as usual loud and playing with modulation. His characterization is designed unevenly and complete suspense unveils from his side. Sapthagiri as Nijam TV reporter, 30 years industry Prudhvi as veterinary doctor from Padmarao Nagar, Thagubothu Ramesh as beggar on fly-over tried to evoke laughter in needlessly placed side-comedy tracks. Nalini, Rohini, Ali, Jyothi were entertaining early on and became unbearable by the end. Nalla Venu, Jiiva, Ajay, Jhansi, Jayaprakah and others were in brief roles.

Okka Ammayi Thappa Rating Analysis: This movie is one more classic example on how an exciting storyline goes upside down in execution. Without a tight screenplay and arresting episodes rolling one after other without giving any leisure for viewers, there is no way suspense and thrillers work. Rajasimha Thadinada had a better concept, strong technical team (Chota K Naidu) and budget on hand. It’s his incapability and inexperience exposed throughout. 

One does not understand why so many characters are introduced on fly-over when the sole purpose was to beautify the romance and then divert the same emotion as a tool for terrorist handling the remote operation. Definitely, director could have bitten by a commercial bug. This is the area where thrills fizzle without creating an impact. Poor Nithya Menon was sitting alone in auto rickshaw watching this chaos. Meanwhile, enlightened audiences have plenty of references like LA Confidential, Phone Booth and so many Hollywood flicks to quote. 

First half is completely a disarray of episodes placed one after other with nothing happening much on actual story front. Sundeep’s placard with phone no written on it is the major lock to move towards interval block which is again dealt impotently. Second half picks up the momentum with some interesting mind game, patriotic segments yet frail writing bogged down the overall impression. 

Finally, OAT had an impractical and unrealistic subject crippled with negligent screenplay and amateurish direction thus resulting in a substandard output worth competing for a 2 star rating. Commercially, this week’s new releases are just meant to push ‘A Aa’ into further higher profits.

Okka Ammayi Thappa Cinejosh Verdict: Fall From Fly-Over

                                                           Okka Ammayi Thappa Cinejosh Rating: 2/5

                                                                                                            Reviewed by Srivaas