O Saathiya review: Aryan Gowra, Mishti Chakravarty’s romance drama is a warm ode to first love, say viewers

O Saathiya, a light-hearted romance drama, brings together Aryan Gowra, Mishti Chakraborty in the lead roles and is directed by Divya Bhavana. The film, with story by Aryan and Deepu, is bankrolled by Chandana Katta under Thanvika Jashwika Creations. After making an impression with its promos and music, the drama has opened to encouraging responses in theatres this weekend.

The film has a simple, straightforward story, revolving around the highs and the lows in the relationship between two college sweethearts - Arjun and Keerthi. While the two fall in love in college, her sudden disappearance brings Arjun to Hyderabad. Arjun’s shocked to realise that Keerthi has moved on and is in a relationship with Rahul.

Just when Arjun tries to forget Keerthi and looks to settle down in life, there’s a new twist in the tale. Is there a happy ending in store for the couple? The drama takes interesting twists and turns and the director Divya Bhavana does a decent job in packaging all the commercial ingredients in the right measure - comedy, romance, emotions.

Despite no major conflict points in the story, O Saathiya’s strength lies in its entertaining screenplay. While the first hour is light-hearted and relies more on comedy, the emotions provide depth to the story post the intermission. The drama peaks in the satisfying climax, where you discover newer layers in the relationship between Arjun and Keerthi.

Aryan Gowra impresses as a happy go lucky youngster, who besides finding love, comes of age, realises his responsibilities in the story. Mishti Chakravarty, a well known face in Telugu cinema, excels in a relatable role of a girl with a dark past. The Middle Class Melodies find Chaitanya Garikapati impresses with his flair for comedy.

The supporting cast Devi Prasad, Pramodini Pammi, Kalpalatha, Annapurnamma, Appaji Ambarisha, Sivannarayana do justice to their brief roles. EJ Venu lends a touch of class to the film with his cinematography, thanks to his smart aesthetic sense. Vinnu’s soulful music is another major attraction. The film would’ve been more impressive with a compact runtime.

If you’re in the mood for a simple, entertaining story this weekend, viewers believe O Saathiya is a good bet.