Om Shanthi Oshana Review

Girl falls in love with boy. Boy does not reciprocate. Girl persists. Boy relents.

That pretty much sums up 'Om Shanti Oshana' for you. Pooja Mathew (Nazriya Nazim), the sole daughter of Dr. Mathew (Renji Panicker) runs into Giri (Nivin Pauly) at Veegaland, where he rescues her from a bunch of hoodlums who have been busy twisting her hand. She doesn't think twice before deciding that he is the man, and follows him around like a dutiful puppy.

If you ask me about the best scene in 'Om Shanti Oshana', I would say that it's the one that precedes the film. There is the customary statutory warning against tobacco use here as well, and it's way too good. Way too good.
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The film kick starts in the late 90's and spans a couple of decades, and the girl transforms into a lovely woman from the gawky, wide eyed teenager that she once was. Her love for the man remains steadfast throughout, and 'OSO' underlines the fact that many an Indian film had emphasized time and again - true love NEVER fails.

The video cassette shops, the contessa car and the Nokia 3310 all suggest those years that were long gone; and yet there are several other things all around that point out without doubt that the year is 2013. The straightened hair, the watches, the swish spectacles, the drapes, the interiors and the slim fit jeans and attire - all are out there as if on an anti-vintage campaign.

The light hearted moments that occur at a regular pace keep you focused on the proceedings, and the young lecturer at the Medical College (Vineeth Sreenivasan in a cameo) is part of quite a few of them. It doesn't require an Einstein brain to find out where the doc has got his sight fixed, and with all those twists and turns that we have been witness to, the observant viewer puts two and two together in a jiffy.

There are a few other characters that grab your attention, David Kanjani (Aju Varghese) being one among them. Pooja's despicable cousin brother who spends more time in exile than otherwise, is a man who brings about a smile to our face, with the antics that he is upto. There is also a beautiful lady by the name of Thennal (an even more beautiful name) floating around, albeit in a few scenes, and Nikki Galrani sashays in and out like a real breeze.

Despite being a film that belongs to its heroine, I should say that it's the male lead who scores big time here, with an assured performance. Nivin Pauly looks every bit the almost ascetic youngster who is way too practical and clear headed to be lured into an unrealistic romance. Nazriya hams it up (especially in the few initial scenes) when she has to be the tomboy, declaring vehemently through her maneuvers that she is way too feminine to be one. But when her Bambi-esque eyes brim up with tears, you forget everything and reach out to her, hoping that everything ends up well in her world. Renji Panicker is a man whom I would love to see on screen more often and the screen dad that he plays is near perfect.

'Om Shanti Oshana' works no wonders when it comes to the tale that it narrates. And yet, if it manages to leave an impression, its courtesy the uncanny moves that it makes in the account, some of which leave you surprised and pleased as punch, and a few stray ones missing the mark by a mile.