Director: Vamshi Paidipalli
Cast: Nagarjuna, Karthi, Tamannah, Prakash Raj, Jayasudha, Thanikella Bharani and Ali
The much-awaited Nagarjuna-Karthi starrer Oopiri, that hit the screens on Friday, falls in the league of many path-breaking, and successful, films that have come out of Tollywood recently. Director Vamshi Paidipalli deserves kudos for coming up with an emotion-soaked script. It's not easy to adopt a French film - The Intouchables - and Indianise it, but Vamshi has done a thorough job.
Nagarjuna, who delivered two successful films in a row, justifies the huge curiosity surrounding the difficult role. Tamannah plays the female lead and PVP is the producer of this '60-crore film.
Vikramaditya (Nagarjuna) is a billionaire owner of multiple companies who has been rendered a paraplegic in an accident and confined to a wheelchair. He advertises for a caretaker, and together with secretary Keerthi (Tamannah) selects Srinu (Karthi), a pickpocket who is out of jail on parole Srinu impresses Vikramaditya with his behaviour, and impresses Keerthi too. The film deals with the bond that develops between Vikramaditya and Srinu.
At its very core, the story is about the bond between a billionaire and a poor boy. Such stories are not new, but where Vamshi wins is in the narration. The film also carries an underlying message that money is not the reason for happiness, and that family and human bonding are important.
Vamsi handles the film in a very balanced manner, dwelling on the value of friendship, love and the values life. He does not miss out on the humour and keeps the tempo going except for a few scenes in the second half.
Nagarjuna steals the show, followed by Karthi. Oopiri adds to the list of films like Manam and Soggade Chinni Nayane where Nagarjuna has come up with some great performances. A major star accepting the role of a character confined to a wheelchair deserves appreciation, as does the manner in which he carries the film. It has pulled off a very difficult job superbly.
On par with Nagarjuna, Karthi has done a wonderful job. This is his first Telugu film, and is certainly a landmark in his career. He deserves applause for the way he portrays the character transforming from a carefree pickpocket to a matured person. There are plenty of sentimental scenes, and he moves everyone with his performance. His Telugu diction is good.
Tamannah perfectly fits the role. The chemistry between her and Karthi is very visible, and the pair pulls off hilarious scenes. Prakash Raj does justice to his important character. Jayasudha, Ali and Thanikella Bharani make thier presence felt. Shriya, Anushka and Adivi Sesh appear in cameos.
Abburi Ravi comes up with touching dialogues and good one-liners. Music by Gopi Sunder adds to the story. Cinematographer Vinod captures every scene beautifully.
Despite its climax which drags a bit, Oopiri is a touching film, adapted well by Vamshi and ably supported by the cast. It marks another hit for Nagarjuna, who has shown the way in experimenting with his roles.
