O Manishi Katha Review

'O Manishi Katha' reminds one of Jagapathi Babu's 'Maa Nanna Chiranjeevi' in terms of its old-fashioned smell and patois.  This is yet another of Jagapathi's commendable choice, a choice which has hope writ large over it but bereft of imaginative story-telling.  The makers relied heavily on the message; they have badly overdid it, so much so it becomes preachy for no good reason.  (To be sure, being preachy can never pay because it can have no good reason whatsoever).

Ramu (Jagapathi) leads an ethical, contented life as the owner of a small-time tiffin centre in his village.  He has feelings for Sita (Kalyani), the daughter of a milk-seller.  In no time they get married and in no time tragedy befalls them.  How does Ramu react to it and what does he do to the perpetrator of the crime?  That forms the crux of the film.

While one can be fair to the writer for the emotion-laden story, it is hard to be appreciative of anyone else, apart from the key actors.  The writers had a reasonably good storyline with the potential to be made into a suspense-filled, off-beat entertainer.  The production values are pathetically bad and the director, too, does seems to have been stuck in the 1990s.  The treatment is outdated, although Jagapathi manages to make us sit through the proceedings and justifiably waited for how the climax will unfold.  If not for him, not many would have given a damn, despite the film having good lyrics to its credit.

As for the story's strength, it deserved a Midas touch; the sensibilities of the director are not adequate, or so it seems.  In our films, there is an attempt to deify the male lead, rather inappropriately.

A writer/director with a philosophical bent of mind would have written and executed the film in such a way that the transformation in Ramu's character would have been made to look obvious.  There is a different orientation here, it is rather the nemesis whose remorse is overplayed in the climax, and Ramu is not human but the embodiment of grace.  Or even God himself!

Ramu's character lends itself to being written with subtlety.  Rather, instead of portraying him as a character with conflicted emotions, he is shown to be the best human.

Jagapathi shines through a poor script, except in a scene or two, he pulls off the deglam role quite well.  The 'Ninu veedani needanu nene' element adds an aura of mundaneness to his character.

Kalyani makes a 'slim' comeback, pun intended.  The actor who plays the negative character brims with talent.

In a long time, this one is a film where the court scenes remind one of films made in an era when attention to detail was badly lacking.

Verdict: A film with a good storyline, a film that is corrupted by moth-eaten story-telling style.

Rating: 2/5