Ohm Shanthi Oshaana (2014) Reviews

• Be prepped to be wooed by the little doctor

  sesht2014-02-11

  Hrishikesh Mukherjee, who made PG Wodehouse come alive in India, still manages to influence movie-makers, the good ones esp., whether or not they're aware of that fact. One of the happiest movies (yes, a movie, a work of art, can also be a happy thingummy) I've seen after Sally Hawkins live it up in the eponymous 'Happy-Go- Lucky', 'Om Shanti Oshana' (Or, 'Ohm Shanthi Oshaana') is light, vibrant and breezy all through, right from its beginning to (oh why did it have to) end. Evocative of 'Guddi', without all (OK, most) the clichés that one paraded around with, this is a one of the best coming-of-age romantic comedies I've seen in any language since a long time, that's just so FRESH! The movie, for some, might seem to belong just to Nazriya Nazim, who owns every scene she's in, and she's in every damn scene. Its completely about her, and when she's not in frame, she's in our heads (ahem, she's also the narrator). Believe me, I ain't complainin', not one bit. However, its not just her(s). The director, Jude Anthany (not a typo) Joseph, owns every frame he's conceptualized, and shot, along with having the other character come-to-life: one of the most inspiring soundtracks ever rendered (Shaan Rahman, returning after a strong, yet a tad unoriginal work in 'Thira', that I've reviewed here earlier). I simply can't get it outa my head, and am not sure I wanna. And oh, the creep factor, that could've 'crept' in, doesn't. Not to me anyways. Nivin Pauly is serviceable, the strong/silent type, that every woman just falls for, and none of the supporting characters falter even a bit. The surprises keep coming, and the lead's flights of fancy are sequences to look forward to, while also savoring everything that comes in-between. Fully fleshed out characters seem as easy to Joseph as ripping his shirt off is to a Bollywood dumb-hunk who shall remain nameless for now. This one's pitch-perfect - Do Not miss it at your local multiplex - this one's having a wide release too, so I'm sure it's playing in most cities all over the world. And yes, it has subtitles, but you won't need them, since its all about lives that few among us are fortunate to lead, and for the rest of us, we have Nazriya Nazim's rendering of rainbows.

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• Feel Good Movie Of The Year. ♦ 85%

  TejasNair2014-06-01

  The story is sweet and innocent. The plot made out of the story is brilliant and credible. The film made out of the plot is charismatic & nonchalant. Debutante Jude Anthany Joseph succeeds, in all ways, with this film and when he comes up with his second film, I'll pre-book tickets. It is a story about a carefree girl who falls in love with a farmer. Her obsession is not infatuation but real love, which she soon realizes. The film revolves around her daring attempts to be with the man she is so fond of. Nasriya Nazim so marvelously handles the lead role that I am at awe right now. Nivin Pauly is very good, as well. But I am more impressed with the supporting cast. The film moves nicely ahead without boring its audience. The direction is amazing and so is the cinematography. Best thing is the BG score: the diverse use of popular film songs & melodies gives a wonderful effect to the whole drama. I laughed my stomach off quite a few times because the humor is not only comic but also fresh. The scenes have been captured well to tell the story which has nothing hidden or hideous about it. Unlike the recent make-believe potboilers, it constantly strives to entertain and it does. It also manages to break few stereotypes and talks about social causes. BOTTOM LINE: You will want to fall in love after watching this because this is one sweet film made with love and passion. It shows. Highly Recommended! Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

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• A must watch movie!!

  melvinvns2014-02-19

  After a long time a Malayalam movie has come which is worth the watch. The best movie of 2013 and 2014 so far!! .. The movie is awesome for a debut director, and camera techniques and background scores are simply amazing!!.. You would definitely want to watch it twice. The actor Nivin has done a great job and actress Nazriya's performance is outstanding.. it's her cute and innocent expressions which makes you glued to the screen.. and at the end of the movie you can see the entire crowd with a cheerful face.. If you haven't watched it yet.. then spare no time go to nearest theater and watch it before it goes off screen.. The movie is purely entertainment with no violence, no smoking or boozing, no weird romances.. just pure fun love story!! So don't miss it...!! Om Shanthi Oshaana!!

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• Watched over 10 times

  vaswathaman2018-12-30

  Always feels new no matter how many times u watch. My favourite movie

• Cozy, comforting, understated yet entertaining film you should watch

  BollyReview2015-01-21

  Some films have a new story but it is told in such a clichéd way that it fails to entertain and excite. And some films have a cliché story but it is told in such a refreshing and upbeat way that it entertains and pleases throughout. Ohm Shanti Oshaana belongs to the latter category. It is a lovely Malayalam romantic comedy starring the talented Nazriya Nazim and Nivin Pauly. The story is about Pooja, a sweet Christian tomboy who falls in love with the serious Hindu farmer Giri and how their story unfolds. The film has some brilliant comedic moments, like when Pooja's father tells her not to go out. Suddenly, the background music of the scene in Manichitrathazu starts playing when Nakulan tells Ganga not to go out and Ganga transforms into Nagavalli. Pooja suddenly turns serious and starts repeating the same dialogues "Why can't I go out? I had told you in the morning," with an arched brow. The father suddenly becomes afraid and tells her to go. I love it when a film makes a tribute to my favorite Manichitrathazhu and this scene had me in splits! Another great comedic scene was when Pooja's mother says that Pooja would go to see the groom, rather than the groom coming to see her. Pooja then imagines going to Giri's house for "groom seeing" and in walks Giri all coy and shy like a bride. What fantastic comedy! So understated, yet so effective. I loved it. As I said, Ohm Shanthi Oshaana has a fairly routine story. Girl falls in love with boy of different religion. Boy doesn't reciprocate. Girl can't forget boy and so on and so forth. But the reason that Ohm Shanthi Oshaana turned out so great isn't necessarily the story. It's the way the story was told and the wonderful performances of lead actors and supporting cast. Nazriya Nazim and Nivin Pauly were perfect in their roles and I imagine that if they had been replaced with anyone else, this film would not have turned out so good. I highly recommend this film. It's a cozy, comforting and entertaining film, a perfect choice for a weekend evening to help you de-stress. You will enjoy it.

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