Oye Ninne: Recycled romedy

Vishnu (Bharat Margani) and Veda (Srushti Dange) grow up together at the former’s house. But, they share a love-hate relationship and Vishnu believes that Veda is the root cause of the apathy he faces from his parents. He thinks she's responsible for the criticism he always gets from his father Sekharam (Nagineedu), who finds his son good for nothing.

Cast: Bharat Margani, Srushti Dange, Nagineedu, Tulasi
Director: Satyam Challakoti

Set in the scenic beauty of Godavari, Oye Ninne is a simple love story with a linear narrative. The film has neither twists nor interesting frills to keep you engaged. Director Satyam Challakoti has borrowed the storyline from a slew of films like Bava Bammardi, Bava, Murari and Uyyala Jampala.

The bava-maradhalu stories have been retold so many times in Telugu cinema that the audience in the theatres can guess the dialogues, twists (if any) and climax without any effort. It’s annoying that these plots continue to subsist and excite our filmmakers, even the newcomers, despite the fact that these bland stories do not appease any section of the audience.

Oye Ninne is one such typical village drama that relies on the done and dusted point, compelling the audience to recollect the movies that made actors like Suman, Siddharth, Pawan Kalyan, Mahesh Babu and Raj Tarun the most-sought after stars of their generation.

The film goes at such a sluggish pace that you can miss a good 20-30 minutes and still make sense of the story. The most exhausting part of the film comes in the second half when Fish Venkat kidnaps Veda and when Vishnu confesses his love for her, it looks artificial. Veda doesn’t express her feelings for Vishnu out of her respect for her uncle, but when she finds a sense of belonging, she is kept at bay by the latter. Finally, on a rainy day, she proposes to Vishnu and asks him to elope with her. Naturally, she is snubbed and Vishnu hides all his emotions. Then comes Tagubothu Ramesh, who does his Ala Modalaindhi act to bring happiness in the life of Veda and Vishnu. By this time, you will be drained by boredom.

Debutant Bharat is good in emotional scenes, but he has to work on his body language. Srushti does a decent job. Satya has an uninspiring role and Dhanraj is mediocre. Tanikella Bharani and Nagineedu do justice to their roles, while Tulasi, Raghu Babu and Pragathi are okay.

Oye Ninne is just another recycled version of many old films that have portrayed the bava-maradhalu romance for decades now.