Okka Magadu - Review

The most awaited Okka Magadu has finally hit the screen. The film has been directed and produced by YVS Choudary under the banner of Bommarillu. Balkrishna, Anushka, Priyanka Kothari are in the lead and Simran in a special role. There were lots of expectations on the film, but the director cum producer could not really reach the expectations to the full extent. It has many similarities of the earlier films of Sardar Paparayudu of the late NT Rama Rao directed by Dasari Narayana Rao and has the shades of Bharateeyudu.

Raghupati Raghava Rajaram @ Okka Magadu (Balakrishna) is a freedom fighter. Veera Venkata Satyanarayana @ Satyam Babu (Balakrishna) is his grandson. As a grandson, he acquires all the qualities of his grandfather. Satyam is brought up by Santa @ Baby (Simran). He remains a well-wisher of the people of around six villages in and around Venkatapuram. He always stands by the poor people and tries to uplift the downtrodden people. At the same time, he is ready to serve the people. However, Satyam Babu never meets his grandfather Okka Magadu, who is popular as OM. Whenever, someone's life is in problem, or when someone tries to take the life of another person, OM surfaces and teaches them a lesson. Everyone believes that OM is killing those persons. The case goes to the hands of CBI.

However, they zero in on Satyam Babu believing that he is changing the attire. When he is being questioned, OM surfaces and reveals that he is behind the missing persons. So, CBI people let off Satyam. At this juncture, a lover couple elope and reach Venkatapuram and seek shelter and help from Satyam. The boy is the son of a minister (Asuthosh Rana), who is crooked. Satyam teaches the police a lesson, when they try to take away the boy. Like this, Satyam develops enmity with the minister. When the CBI sleuths start hunting for OM and come to know that he is a traitor as per records and belongs to Venkatapuram. Santa reveals the flashback and tells them that he is not a traitor but a freedom fighter. In the climax, OM reveals that he has not killed the persons but only abducted them to present before the people. Even after everything becomes clear, the minister and the corrupt officials try to escape from the country, but OM makes them to die in a plane crash.

PLUS: Balakrishna gave excellent performance in the movie. Till the interval bang, nobody guesses whether there is a single role or dual role. But after that it becomes clear that they are different. The director has tried his best to maintain a gripping screenplay all through the film. He is able to maintain good suspense. He has taken extra care in showing the difference between young and old Balakrishnas. Anushka and Priyanka Kothari fill the glamour slot well. Simran has also put up good performance. Simran has played a special role in the movie and performed well like an aged and old woman. The entire film revolves around only these four characters. Action scenes will attract the mass and suit their taste. Balakrishna has shown good ease and danced well in song sequences.

MINUS: The timing of songs in the first half killed the tempo a lot. The director has unnecessarily wasted lot of time for chivalrous scenes and to show the glamour of heroines. Priyanka Kothari and Anushka absolutely has no role to play in the film and they are kept only to fill the glamour slot and for dance sequences. There is a lot of thread work in the action scenes and it looks too cinematic.

REMARKS: Though YVS Choudary claimed that he has prepared a good story, the Telugu film lovers can easily identify that it is a rehash / free-make of Sardar Paparayudu with a touch of Bharateeyudu. Even Choudary had kept a song on the lines of Bharateeyudu, where Kamal Hassan and Surekha participate in a song sequence during their wedding scene in the form of various State cultures – like a Marathi, Gujarati, Tamilian and Malayalee and so on and so forth. A similar song is choreographed on Balakrishna and Simran Nanu Paalimpagaa. The film might appease the mass audiences in B, C centres but could not attract the youth or city audiences.

Cast: Balakrishna, Simran, Anushka, Priyanka Kothari, Asuthosh Rana, Krishna Bhagawan, Sivaji Raja, Chinna, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Lakshmipati, Chandramohan, Prasadbabu, Raghunatha Reddy, Rajyalakshmi, Chalapati Rao, Ranganath, Haribabu, Giribabu, Vijayachander, Narsing Yadav, Subba Raju, Vijayan, GV and others.

Credits: Music – Manisharma, Presents – Yalamanchili Geeta, Story, screenplay, direction and producer – YVS Choudary.

Banner: Bommarillu

Released on: January 11, 2008