The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Watch it for Balayya’s sake Film Review

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Saturday, Jan 12, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Watch it for Balayya’s sake Film Review

A still from the film ‘Okka Mogadu’.

Film: Okka Mogadu (Telugu)

Cast: Balakrishna,Simran

Director: Y.V.S. Chowdary

With a pompous title like ‘Okka Mogadu’, and as a die hard fan of the Nandamuri clan handling the ambitious project, one expects nothing short of a grandiose film from director Y.V.S. Chowdary.

The hype preceding the film’s release about Balakrishna playing a dual role had expectations soaring but a clichéd plot and characters with a weird make up (Simran and Sr NBK) mars the enthusiasm of the movie goers.

The film, however illogical, makes it worth a watch for only one reason -- Balakrishna.

He never looked so good in the recent years especially in the senior Balakrishna’s portrayal which dominates the central segment of the movie leaving the junior one with some duets.

Of late, poor direction of his films has sent the actor’s career graph plummeting but in this film he is the saving grace with his dances and dialogues.

Simran is the centrefold of the piece. There are a host of other cameos from actors, but really it comes down to these three. A refined version of ‘Bharateeydu’, the movie has delightful music and punchy dialogues in the part which deals with the pre-independence drama.

The camerawork is beautifully integrated. Director Y.V.S. Chowdary would have been a happy man had he chosen a simple romantic-cum-action story but with such a complicated plot as this; he depends on Balakrishna’s charms alone to score at the box office.

Y. Sunita Chowdhary

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