The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Routine police fare

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Saturday, Sep 03, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Routine police fare

Okkade (Telugu)

Cast: Srihari, Santoshini, Mukesh Rushi, Nagababu, Jayaprakash Reddy

Director: Chandra Mahesh

It was producer K. Mahendra who promoted Srihari as a hero and the latter also gave good hits. Though some of the films with Srihari in the lead failed, he recouped by portraying a character role in `Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana,' a big hit. Srihari again tries his hand as a tough cop in a hero-oriented film, which has been received well. Director Chandra Mahesh tries to give novel treatment to a routine police story. The film has only one song, an item number by Abhinayasri.

SP Yugandhar (Srihari) is a police officer who knows only two things; to tell the bad guys to mend their ways and if the latter fail to heed his advice kill them in encounters. In his eight years of service, he kills 36 persons in encounters and is transferred 28 times. Subbarayudu (Mukesh Rishi) is a factionalist in Rayalaseema. To deal with him, the Home Minister (Nagababu) on the advice of Chief Minister (Kanta Rao) sends Yugandhar to Rayalaseema with special powers and with an assurance that he will not be transferred for a year.

Gets down to business

After taking charge, Yugandhar starts taking strict measures. Yugandhar tries to bring the culprits to book but cannot succeed because of their political and financial clout . Subbarayudu's son Chinnappa (Bharat) rapes the daughter of a head-constable and Yugandhar's bid to get him convicted fails. The rest of the film deals with how Yugandhar teaches a lesson to Chinnappa, Subbarayudu and the Home Minister.

Srihari excels in the role of the tough cop, but it is Mukhesh Rishi who gives a terrific performance as a Seema factionalist. Bharat's action is not up to the mark. Jayaprakash Reddy as the brother of the factionalist and also as revenue minister is so so, while Nagababu does justice to the politician's role. Background score by Vandemataram, camera work by Adusumilli Vijayakumar and dialogues by Veligonda Srinivas are noteworthy.

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