'Aa Okkati Adakku' is Allari Naresh's second release of the year. He is going to have two more releases in theatres this year. His latest theatrical release has been produced by Rajiv Chilaka of Chilaka Productions. What is the movie about? Is it worth a watch? Let's find out in our review.
Plot:
Ganapathi (Allari Naresh) is an aging bachelor with a doting family. His widowed mother (Kalpalatha) is ailing and her only wish is to see him get married before she breathes her last. When Ganapathi joins a matrimony scheme run by Happy Matrimony for matches, he walks into a trap.
Meanwhile, he falls in love with a happy-go-lucky woman named Siddhi (Faria Abdullah), who lives in a girls' hostel and whose father is battling for life in a hospital. Who is Siddhi and why does she reject Ganapathi's decent proposal for marriage? The answer to this is the thread to which the crux of the story is tied to.
Performances:
Allari Naresh admittedly enjoys playing light-veined roles. As he put it in an interview after interview, doing a comedy film like this one was like playing on home turf. 'Naandhi', 'Ugram' and 'Maharshi' had made him some other type. Naresh is no perfectionist but the ease is there for all to see in this film.
Faria Abdullah's timing was mined to the hilt in 'Jathi Ratnalu'. Somehow, she has since been struggling to get the humour quotient right. This film doesn't help her much. Vennela Kishore, after the recent 'Family Star', is once again seen in a relatively dull role. Jamie Lever (as Ganapathi's sister-in-law) is average, while Viva Harsha is forgettable. Hari Teja and Ariyana Glory are miserable. Bhadram, Ajay, Raja Chembolu, Goparaju Ramana, and others are seen in impactless roles.
Technical Departments:
'Rajadhi Raja' and 'Hammammo' were crafted for entertainment while sticking to the male lead's characterization. Gopi Sunder's music is not vibrant. Chota K Prasad's editing slackens in the second half. Suryaa's cinematography works in bits and pieces. The production values are half-hearted.
Merits:
1. The central idea of basing the story on the marketing cons in the matrimony industry.
2. The performance by Allari Naresh.
3. There is a proper arc for the heroine's character.
4. The final 25 minutes are meaningful.
Demerits:
1. The obsessive focus on the male lead's marital status is annoying.
2. The singular idea of different characters, especially females, reminding the male lead of his age and unmarried status is frustrating after a point.
3. The interval twist is narrated in a dull manner.
4. There are one too many comedians but the humour density is too low.
5. The very brand of comedy is dated.
6. There are no highs in the second half. The scenes are not random but they suffer from monotony and banality. The ideas are exaggerated.
Vox Verdict:
'Aa Okkati Adakku' could have been a better film had it been a mature drama. Director Malli Ankam and writer Abburi Ravi treat it as a comedy, leaving so much to be desired.
