Okka Magaadu - Telugu Movie Review

Let us start with a helicopter in which a minister of the state is traveling. It develops a snag and has to land in the middle of nowhere. When it does do the emergency landing, it does so on a proper helipad - complete with the "H" mark - in the middle of nowhere by the side of a village - Venkata Puram.

If you have any questions about this incident, do not let them out because if you do, and you have to follow the same yard stick, half your life will be spent asking questions. The remaining half? You guessed it right... hunting for the answers. So let us save all that trouble and accept whatever YVS Chowdary throws at us in the form of Okka Magaadu, Balakrishna's latest offering on the marquee.

The mantra seems to be pretty simple. Shun Logic. It would have actually helped us if the director were kind enough to display this warning too along with the Tobacco warning. "Please do shun logic at this point. We are not responsible for any brain damage arising out of an unnecessary logical appraisal of the events happening on the screen."

However for an intelligent viewer having an IQ of at least 25, the implicit warning is pretty much there in the face within the first two minutes of the movie when the helicopter lands. So I wouldn't hold YVS responsible for any technical snag in my brain.

This movie categorically states that most beautiful women in this part of the world are so sex-starved that they are always hunting for "The Man". They don't have any other feelings. They can't do anything else - Sometimes they dream about The Man. Sometimes they talk about The Man. Sometimes they behave in a lewd manner unable to resist the very thoughts of The Man. And that's pretty much what they do. Quite interestingly they come, they see, they show, they conquer, they sing, they dance, they disappear. Fifteen minutes later the same cycle repeats. I know this is the standard formula for most Telugu movies these days but to show them just as sex maniacs with no other goal in life is stretching it a bit too far. YVS needs a reality check. The audience has moved on if the reaction to these scenes are indicative of anything.

Nisha Kothari and Anuskha are two dunderheads who epitomize the male chauvinism of the scriptwriter. A word of advice to Anushka - Ma'am you need to reinvent yourself. Otherwise you will be spoken along with Jayamalini and Silk Smitha.

Before the release of this movie, YVS gave a press interview in which he made an emphatic announcement that his script demanded three heroines and hence the movie had three glamour dolls. I guess he was either talking about a different script or had very low opinion about the IQ levels of the viewer. Anushka and Nisha appear in two paise roles clad in one paise garments and have exactly 2 minutes of footage outside the songs.

Let me not get into the illogical sequences in the movie as I have already stated that anyone looking for logic in this movie is probably going to be brain dead immediately . The sequences unfold at breakneck speed with everyone shouting at 150 decibels for no apparent reason. And such shouting and mindless violence is served as "Freedom Struggle" complete with voice overs for Mahatma Gandhi and Chacha Nehru. Jingoism is equated to freedom struggle.

The fighter goes to China; watches Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon; comes back and kills all the British single-handedly. He resurfaces after 60 years and continues his struggle against the corrupt and the callous people of India. If that reminds you of another movie, you are not alone.

I don't know what the hero learnt in China but YVS sure learnt third degree Chinese torture techniques there and uses them on the hapless viewers reducing them to vegetables by the time the credits start rolling up.

The movie could have done away with two of the three heroines, one of the two Balakrishnas (the younger one to be precise) and a little bit of matured handling of pre and post independence Indian conditions. But that is probably too tall an order for YVS. If it were not for Balakrishna's relentless efforts, the movie would have killed all the viewers.

That brings us to the man who has given it all. It was refreshing to see Balakrishna mouthing ferocious dialogues and creating an impact naturally. Let's admit it, it is a sheer pleasure to watch Balakrishna when he is in his elements. Sadly all his efforts are wasted in this pointless and badly executed movie.

I hope this serves as a wake up call to Balakrishna. He needs to look at fresh ideas - try something radically different and give the new generation a chance rather than persisting with people who refuse to move beyond the decade before the last.

My Rating: Bad.