Home > Telugu Movie Reviews > Naa Oopiri
Cast: Vadde Naveen, Sangeetha, Anjana, MS Narayana, Surya, Sudha, Gundu Hanumantha Rao and Others.
Art: JK Moorthy.
Camera: Ramanan Krishna.
Dialogue: Poosala.
Editing: Suresh Urs.
Music: Deepak Dev.
Story & Direction: Kanmani.
Producers: A Murugan & P Sivaprasad.
Banner: Brahmma Creations.
 There appears to be a new trend emerging after the state government took new measures helping the low budget cinema. There were three low budget films this week and the peculiarity is that all of them have some offbeat themes. 'Naa Oopiri' is one example. The concept bases on a particular psychological behavior, which is called Schizophrenia. The film presents one Venu as a graphic example, reflecting that behavioral pattern. But one wonders whether subjects woven on such psychological disturbance would ever hold water. For a visual medium like cinema this kind of subject is least preferred for two reasons – one, the hero gets stuck up with this mannerism and behavioral pattern and two, it runs as an unbelievable drama.
Look at the way Venu (Naveen) imagines that a senior boss of the office recommended some loan to him and then imagining the very existence of a wife and son with whom he had great attachment. The fact that the way the film is made to present this case is in itself looks as if the director is cheating the audience, to prove what he wanted to tell. Therefore all the psychological evidence is reserved for the climax. The childhood story comes to us as a flashback in which we understand that Venu and Gowri get attached deeply to each other after Venu's mother dies of heart stroke. Gowri is everything for him. They get married and the problem comes only when she conceives and delivers a child. Her death renders Venu nonplussed to the extent that he develops that dual personality and behaves as if his wife and child are alive. In between these scenes a psychiatrist (Sankar) arrives and analyses the problem for the audience sake. How much they can understand and to what extent this explanation is correct is left to psychoanalysts.
 As a story we have to enjoy all that they are showing us that is believed by Venu as real. If Venu is proved a Schizophrenic, we are also the same till the film is over and till the truth is explained to us. What we see is Venu's wonderful married life and the way his wife looks after him like a mother. She is his mentor. And the second girl Madhu (Anjana) who enters his life looks as if she is forcing herself on him. But he behaves as if, back at home, his wife Gowri will never pardon him for such things. Thus runs the drama. We are also surprised as much as the character itself. But then he walks away, in the last scene, as if he is taking Gowri and his son along with him. Which means the director did not cure him of that problem. Therefore we have to think that Venu continues to live that way. What happens to him later God only knows.
Therefore, the film's initial grip on audience slowly gets lost. And the narration gets stagnated. Once we realize he is behaving like a fool, we too start relaxing. For Naveen this is a different story but will never help to build his image as an artiste ready to play any character. That kind of versatility cannot be found in this type of role. But Sangeetha simply dominates the drama showing all goodness. And Anjana in the second part provides some element of romance missing in the first half. Music support is refreshing to the drama part. Songs too are melodious. The comedy part too looks in relief. There are characters too pushing the theme forward. Surya (as office boss), Sankar (as psychiatrist) and Sudha (as gynecologist) do well.
- ASLESHA
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