Cast: Gopichand, Neha Julha
Direction: Chandrashekar Yeleti
Production: Cherry
Music: MM. Keeravani
There are few young directors in Tollywood who have created their own brand with just two films. Chandrasekhar Yeleti has created his signature style with his earlier films Aitey and Anukokunda Oka Raju. Unlike them, his third offering is more of a commercial film though he has chosen a rather different subject hitherto unexplored element of a villain hunting for a guy who has ‘Bombay Blood Group’. Based on this theme, the director has a perfect hero in Gopichand as the man fighting for vengeance.
Okkadunnadu is a regular commercial film but shot in eye-catching manner with superb visuals and adrenalin pumping action sequences. In fact, the film largely focuses on these elements, thereby loosing the grip on the content especially in the second half. But the film presents hero Gopichand as a new poster boy.
A bankrupted bank owner’s son Kiran (Gopichand) comes to Mumbai to sell off their house. He approaches a real estate agent Gowthami (Neha Julka) to clinch the deal. While he is on that deal, Mumbai mafia don Sonabhai (Mahesh Manjrekar) learns that Kiran has what he is looking for – a heart with the rare blood group, Bombay Blood Group.
Sonabhai has the same group and he suffers from cardiac problem and has to undergo heart transplantation urgently. Sonabhai wants Kiran’s heart by hook or crook. Now it is our hero’s mission to survive himself and also get money as quickly as possible. How would he achieve this forms rest of the film!
The first half is racy and holds the interest with some amazing action scenes. But soon it peters out to an ordinary commercial potboiler as there is not much substance. Even the climax is abrupt. Lack of entertainment and romance between the lead pair does not go well with the common audiences.
The film is perfect vehicle for Gopichand to get new image. He does it with élan as he looks so urbane in chic dresses and excels in the action sequences. Newcomer Neha Julka is okay. Mahesh Manjrekar is the real scene stealer. He looks awesome in the villain role. Nazar plays villain’s aide while Brhamanandam’s comedy is a saving grace.
Technically Okkadunnadu is brilliant with Gummadi Jayakrishn’a excellent photography, and editing is slick. MM Keeravani’s music is not great but he scores in re-recording. In a nutshell, the film is an average flick which caters to urban audiences.