Karthik G Krish’s Pandavullo Okkadu (2015) Movie Review

Opened: July 31^st, 2015
Starring: Vaibhav, Sonam Bajwa, Karunakaran, VTV Ganesh, Karthik Priyadarshan, Venkat SUndar and Arjunan
Music Composer: Natarajan Shankaran
Dialogues: Seshu
Director: Karthik G Krish
Censor Certificate: UA
Runtime: 151 Minutes

Movie kickoffs with the line – “Oka Manchi friendship ki ye karanam undadu”. Five friends Vasu (Vaibhav), Kanakaraju (Karunakaran), Karthik Subbaraju (Arjunan), Venkateshwarulu (Karthik Priyadarshan) and Pattabi (Venkat Sundar) have been tight bonded and their conversancy is very well known to everyone in Tada, Andhra Pradesh. They make an infantile avowal that they shouldn’t marry as it breaks their friendship or they all can marry the same girl as in mythos. As they grow old, Vasu gets bored of the oath and starts going behind girls, but their friends stand like a rock blockers. So he betrays his friends and lands in Chennai. Where stays with Nelson (VTV Ganesh) and falls in love with Deepika (Sonam Bajwa). When his love was all set to prosper, his friends visit Chennai and rest is a cluster of mix-ups, strategies and emotions.

All the actors were just ordinary and there is nothing notable to be brought to the fore for appreciation. Telugu actor Vaibhav is fine in his role. He is okay with his comedy timing and histrionics. Debutant actress Sonam Bajwa is pretty, she needs to work a little on her acting especially scenes where she is emotional. The chemistry between the lead pair is good. Special appreciation to Karunakaran, Arjunan, Karthik Priyadarshan and Venkat Sundar for bringing some life into the film. VTV Ganesh is fun in parts as love guru.

Director Karthik G Krish’s probably attempted to make a romantic -comedy that flutters between slapstick and sarcasm. The central point had potential but the execution isn’t upto the mark. It even reminds us of recently dubbed “Chirunavvula Chirujallu” in parts. The main conversations sound sour and often insinuate PJ’s for effect. Like, a friend asks wanna have something to eat and he opens his mouth; as the friends try to break the marriage everything blasts in the house and still everyone survives it and reach the hall with torn dresses; Friend asks searching for keys?? Then he raises his nostrils… This kind of jokes are available in every other scene in the second half.

In Pandavullo Okkadu things move ahead in a pretty ordinary way, with a lazy script by Karthik G Krish and far from impressive performances by the entire cast. The film perhaps proposed not to be taken seriously by the makers and the histrions seems to have taken the message very seriously. The situations are mostly unconvincing, the jokes are jaded and the story mostly meanders along without any distinct aim or direction. Even the major conflict point (realization) wasn’t concluded in a promising note.

There are even few err moments that crack you up. Like increasing the marks in the result papers; In the college episode whenever Vaibav tries to flirt with gals the friends try to block; The way Nelson teaches his flirting tantrums’; And the way Friends try to stop a marriage.

At 150 minutes, the film looks really long. It could have a bit more entertaining for sure, if the duration was lesser by 20 odd minutes. Couple of songs by Natarajan Sankaran in the film are good. Costly Cassata is the best track among all. The background score is adequate. Dialogues by Seshu are pretty average. Cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan is nice. Production Values of “S Pictures & Maruthi Talkies” are fair.

The film starts off on an interesting note. First half of the film is okay. But it loses steam in the second half. The film could have been a fun one, but it dragged down by its pace and affected by its cliched style. All in all, Pandavullo Okkadu may not be appealing for the spotting viewer but it could be hunky-dory in parts if you are not there to delve deep into its virtues. The choice is yours.

Survi Review: 2/5

Theatrical Trailer: