Ori Devuda Review – Engages Moderately

BOTTOM LINE
Engages Moderately

OUR RATING
2.5/5

CENSOR
U/A 2h 27m

What Is the Film About?
Arjun Durgaraj (Vishwak Sen) and Anu (Mithila Palkar) are best friends, and later they get married. A year later, Arjun realises it was a mistake and applies for divorce. At the court, God makes an appearance and becomes an audience to listen to his grievance.

What happens when Arjun is given a second chance to rectify his life by God? What did he realise? How Arjun’s story end comprises the movie’s basic plot.

Performances
Vishwak Sen is in his element. It is not the usual hyper one, but what we saw previously in Ashoka Vanamlo Arjuna Kalyanam. He does the fun and drama with equal ease and makes the character appealing.

While there is nothing to complain about acting-wise, we have to mention that he needs to be careful regarding his physicality. He looks heavy and bulky. In some parts where he runs or in places where appearance also matters, Vishwak Sen is far from flattering. The pair, as a result, isn’t that appealing. One hopes he looks into this issue sooner rather than later.

Mithila Palkar gets a role that is tailor-made for her. She fits the bill perfectly, playing bubbly and chirpy Anu. However, Mithila Palkar doesn’t manage to rise above the conventional characterisation. A kind of magic necessary for the part to be elevated, thereby elevating the proceedings, is missing.

Asha Bhat looks good in certain parts but misses the mark in general. There is something amiss. The dubbing further is an issue for a few. The voice feels distracting after a point when we hear more from the character.

Venkatesh is the biggest name attached to the project. He plays a cameo role of God. It is designed to reflect his charm and typical comic timing seen in his commercial fares. The star scores in screen presence departments as he towers over the rest, but he has hardly any meat in the role.

Analysis
Ashwath Marimuthu directs Ori Devuda. It is a remake of his debut film, Oh My Kadavule, made in Tamil.

Ori Devuda is a simple rom-com where the hero realises his true love. So, we know at the start where it’s headed and how it will land. The simple romantic comedy is given a fresh twist via the fantasy angle.

A God appears and gives the protagonist a second chance to rectify his mistakes. This fantasy element is what holds the attention of the viewer and elevates Ori Devuda from other films in the genre.

While the basic idea is intriguing and exciting, the director fails to develop an emotionally immersive narrative. The writing is the key here to have that feel, and sadly is feel lacking.

The first half is devoted to entertainment, mainly. The fun here is generated via the characters that inhabit the world of Arjun, primarily. Some scenes work here and there, but as a whole, things don’t come together to create an impact. It all looks strained.

Still, as mentioned earlier, the premise is the key here. We see its impact again around the interval mark. It definitely leaves one curious for the second half.

After the fun, it is time for drama in the second half. The Murali Sharma character expressing his sentiments for why he does the business is one such scene. It hits the right chord and works. But, such sequences are only a few.

It is not that there is anything terrible or unbearable, but the narrative feels boring and bland. After taking the second chance, we can see how things are coming around for Arjun. But we don’t share his emotion. An emotional distance is felt when it should be the opposite. And that’s the biggest undoing for Ori Devuda.

By the time we reach the climax, we are happy that it has ended. There was ample opportunity for Ori Devuda to have entertainment and drama in equal doses, but it was missed. But, more than anything, the whole thing comes across as a bit stale.

Overall, Ori Devuda has an exciting and relatable premise, but it fails to deliver the right dose of fun and drama to have an impact. It ends as a passable watch, with a few moments working intermittently. Give it a try if you don’t mind the dull moments and have low expectations.

Performances by Others Actors
Murali Sharma impresses with his act. His character appears for a brief moments initially, but there is a great emotional payoff where the actor shines. Rahul Ramakrishna is wasted. There is nothing to mention about his role or writing here. The rest of the actors are adequate for their parts, even though nothing particularly stands out.

Music and Other Departments?
Leon James provides music to the rom-com. It suits the mood, and a song is also good. And yet, a universal blockbuster appeal is missing that is essential for flicks like these. The background score is decent.

Vidhu Ayyana’s cinematography lends a proper urban look to the film. There is no visual razzmatazz, but it is sufficient to give a slick feeling. Vijay Mukthavaraku’s editing could have been better. The pacing slackens at times, adding to the boredom. Tharun Bhascker provides the dialogues. They are all right and serve the purpose, but they miss the magic usually seen in his works.

Highlights?
Basic Premise
Some Emotional Sequences
Interval Block

Drawbacks?
Passable writing
Ordinary Entertainment
Predictability

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts.

Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservation.

Ori Devuda Movie Movie Review by M9News