Freshness is the word. As Jr. NTR rightly said in an interview this January, audiences are warmly lapping up content-driven cinema in a big way. As he said, some of the biggest hits/acclaimed films of 2014 and 2015 had an exciting idea going. Be it Drushyam, Manam, Baahubali, Bhale Bhale Mogadivoy, or Srimanthudu, they proved that Tollywood is changing for good. This year, we have seen films like Soggade Chinni Nayana, Oopiri and Kshanam proving that this is a season of the imaginative streak.

Driven by a catchy idea is Okka Ammayi Thappa. Starring Sundeep Kishan and Nithya Menon in lead roles, the film is directed by Rajasimha, a protege of Jayanth C Paranje and Parachuri Brothers. More than 60 pc of the film takes place in the backdrop of a traffic gridlock.

As Sundeep said in his IndiaGlitz interview, "It's the story of a youngster who dropped out of college midway. But it's wrong to say that he is a dullard. He thinks that learning should be done in the outside world, not inside the college. He can decipher any and tell what kind of a person he is. It's a distinct love story. It's a story that takes place during a traffic jam on the Hi-Tech city flyover. How these two lovers cross this gridlock and emerge successful, is the story. The screenplay is entirely different. We shot some shots for seven days at Hi-Tech city. Rest of the portions, we shot in a specially erected set in Annapurna Studios for 40 days."

Before Sundeep got lucky, the story did rounds among several heroes, some of which are big names. They all liked the idea, but somehow didn't give the nod. Thus, the talented writer Rajasimha had to put the idea in cold storage for many years. Reportedly, he got the idea when travelling on a busy road in Hyderabad way back in 2006. When he wrote the script back then in 2007, it had only the hero's role. As Sundeep told IndiaGlitz, Nithya Menon's role (that is, scenes) was abridged at the behest of the actress herself so as to avoid dilution of the original script.

With many positive vibes going for OAT, the film may well turn out to be another hit this year. Watch this space, folks, as the film arrives on June 10.