"Oh My Friend" Movie Review

Oh My Friend" is one more addition to the clean family fare DVD collection being built by Dil Raju since "Bommarillu" this time with Venu Sriram - one more Asst.Director turned Director Venu Sriram. This time, he casts Shruti Hasan and Siddharth as childhood chums who share a platonic love that confounds people around them, even their respective lovers. Is it possible for a man and woman who gro...w up to as thick friends to remain mentally close and physically un-attached? This theme was explored half-heartedly in "Nuvve Kaavali", and whole-heartedly in "Vasantham", "Iddaru Mithrulu" and in many recent English and Hindi movies. So, the story is not new but the director's take is cool and breezy and manages to get some good performances by Shruti Hasan and Navdeep and Tanikella Bharani. Frankly, I couldn't notice the screen presence of Siddharth (Hasn't he done these kind of roles since birth almost?). The good points of the film - Shruti Hasan- she is the soul of the film. Length of the film-it wraps up just about the time you want to get up though belabours the underlying message often and loud. Good Music by debutant and clean lyirics. Great BGM by Mani Sharma. Uncluttered characterisation. Quite a few heart-rending scenes- you may be tempted to cry. What are the faults? Intensity is missing - director takes a path of non-cinematic liberties to drive home the point which doesnt come out as effective as it should have - deserved greater thought and fleshing out as modern society evolves. Climax is weak and abrupt - he could have built it to a fault. There's average fun in the film with no comedy to laugh out loud. Its watchable once but will you remember it like "Bommarillu" - Never. I like to usually delve into the economic output of a film at the Box Office - will it click there - is this a gold-digger? Unlikely - it may be a near-miss. NRIs may love the film but college-goers and Sidhu fans expect more from Dil Raju.