O Kala Movie Review: The Roshni Sahota, Gourish Yeleti starrer has a simple message told in an endearing manner

3/5

Story

Harika(Roshni Sahota) is a very bright MBA graduate who decides not to go for a job. Instead, Harika convinces her dad(Devi Prasad) that she will put money into a startup and does so with her college friend Sharan. The company grows big and Harika even gets engaged to Sharan. The twist in the tale arises when Sharan uses all the company's funds and leaves Harika with bankruptcy. A depressed Harika sells her company and decides to end her life. Just when it is all set to end her life, a guy named Harsha(Gourish Yeleti) enters her life and stops her from doing so. Who is this Harsha? How did he approach Harika and what is his connection with her? To know this, you need to watch the film on Disney Plus Hotstar.

Review:

O Kala has a young star cast and deals with the issue of depression which is quite common among younger generations these days. How young professionals dream big, put everything into their dreams and when things get shattered, they take the extreme steps of committing a suicide. Director Deepak Kolipaka chooses the same topic and nicely sets it up amidst the life of a very young and independent woman played by Rohini Sahota, the popular TV actress from Hindi. Though the premise looks familiar, the director focuses more on drama and not romance. This is where the film clicks and has a decent viewing experience.

The narration gets quite interesting when the main lead Gourish enters the scene. The way he inspires the female lead to come out of depression, his back story and the chemistry between them is so elegantly designed and executed well by the director. To make the film commercial, Ali's track is added which looks unnecessary and bores you for no reason. The rest of the supporting cast is on point. Devi Prasad plays the heroine's dad and is quite impressive. The conversations between the father and daughter and how the former supports her to achieve her dream is shown in a very emotional and impactful manner.

One of the the major aspects of O Kala is the captivating camerawork by Akhil Valluri as he showcases the visuals in a very soothing manner and especially, the Kashmir visuals were eye pleasing. The music by Nilesh Mandalupu is decent but his background score was amazing. Lyrics by Krishna Chaitanya and Rakendu Mouli were impressive. The film is high on technical aspects and holds your attention until the end.

O Kala has very few characters and the film mainly runs through the main leads. So, the director Deepka had work cut out to showcase the conversations in a not so boring manner and yet move his story ahead. This is where the performances in O Kala come into the picture. Rohini Sahota plays the female lead and she carries the film on her shoulders. She as an independent woman who is all set to end her life due to depression has done so well. Be it her body language, her expression or the way she confidently mouths the Telugu dialogues, everything was good about her.

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Gourish Yeleti plays the main lead and though he is quite young in his career, he does well as the man who supports the heroine. The way his track is unleashed and the manner in which Gourish reveals his emotional side has nicely been portrayed by the young hero. O Kala has some well executed emotions and also a decent message that suit the sensibilities of today's generation. There are a few scenes which look routine but one should appreciate the director for sticking to the subject and not adding silly entertainment just for the sake of it.

Verdict

On the whole, O Kala is a surprisingly well made drama that has impressive performances, good message and soothing visuals. Though the storyline looks straightforward, the way it is executed with decent emotions and proper justification by the end makes it a decent watch. Do give it a shot.

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