'OMG (O Manchi Ghost)' is produced by Markset Networks Productions' Dr. Abinika Inabathuni. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Story:
Desperate for money, Razia, Chaitanya, Lakshman, and Pavuram believe kidnapping is the easiest solution. They target Keerthy, the daughter of MLA Sadashiva Rao, and take her to an abandoned palace rumored to be haunted. But what happens to the kidnappers trapped in the ghost's domain? How does their life take a bizarre turn with the entry of an idiosyncratic magician named Atma Rao (Vennela Kishore)?
Analysis:
The horror-comedy, directed by Shankar Marthand, is filled with characters who assume things and suffer from confirmation bias. The element driving the track involving the four abductors and the funny magician could have led to a series of LOL-esque moments. But what is on offer is an unending stream of loud comedy.
The dynamics between the two ghosts remain somewhat sketchy, leaving much to be desired. The ghost possessing Keerthy seems passive and unimaginative. The quirks involving the other ghost are half-baked.
The reference to Telugu cinema horror flicks like 'Arundhati' is cliched and forced. The poverty of imagination is made all the more worse by the slapstick brand of comedy that comes as a steady flow.
Shakalaka Shankar is loud without a respite. Vennela Kishroe losing his mojo in terms of comedy timing leaves the film high and dry. His character is always high on libido or random assumptions. He predictably walks into obvious and non-obvious traps, sometimes resulting in low-brow comedy. Anup Rubens' background score lends a touch of high quality, though.
While the incoherent narrative is bad enough, the references to women as 'panasa pandu', etc are distasteful. The scenes feel like unending episodes more than segments holding content. The comedians being tortured in a 'funny' way is supposed to be the most important screenplay highlight. Phew!
The ultimate clash in the final stretches of the film makes the whole story look like an unabashed formula that has been packaged to fool the audience. The graphics are of low quality. The excessive reliance on the cast and the emotional flashback shows.
The half knowledge of Shankar's character could have been used to generate laughs. The magician's trickery and the ghosts' sleight of hand could have made for a rare brand of comedy had they come together in a burst of screenplay innovation. Instead, one male trying to woo a female, only to embarrass himself, is what we get to watch. The comedy built around Pisachipuram, a haunted village, comes undone.
Closing Remarks:
'OMG' falls short of content and comedy at once.
