True to its caption – no logic, only magic – Om Bheem Bush revels in its absurdity, writes Srivathsan Nadadhur
Story:
Krish, Vinay and Madhav are three madcap scientists forcibly thrown out of their university for their strange antics. In search of livelihood, the trio – nicknamed Bang Bros – lands at Bhairavapuram, a sleepy village where superstitions and age-old dogmas reign supreme. Their destinies take a new turn when they enter the village’s haunted mansion – Sampangi Mahal – searching for treasure.
Review:
‘Don’t give any breathing space for a viewer to think’ is the mantra of the season in Telugu cinema regardless of the genre. Pack a film with as many events as possible, throw in as many pop-culture references as you can and move onto the next episode before the viewer tries to make any sense of the proceedings – and you are most likely to have a box office winner.
Om Bheem Bush tirelessly celebrates its absurdity with conviction, a reason why you can’t dismiss it entirely. The tone and backdrop of the film keep changing consistently – from a college to a village to a haunted mansion – but its primary aim is to be a comedy. The humour isn’t golden standard, is dialogue driven and it comes alive mainly due to the Brochevarevarura trio’s sparkling camaraderie.
Director Sree Harsha Konuganti takes the film’s caption ‘No logic, only magic’ seriously. He even hardsells a link between red-coloured hair and infrared radiation for laughs. The lead trio can solve everything from fertility issues to warding off evil spirits to unearthing long-lost treasure. To rescue a priest who’s just suffered a heart attack, they use shock treatment, trusting a YouTube video.
The attempt to tickle your funny bones is desperate while the silliness quotient is surprisingly consistent. There’s no pretension or an effort to make sense. The film’s a tale of three good-for-nothing men in an unusual situation. The dialogue writing is unabashedly colloquial and free from any cinematic sophistication and the narrative keeps throwing surprises regularly.
The male gaze in the storytelling is quite apparent and profanity is commonplace. If the first hour is all about the protagonists forging a bond with the locals at Bhairavapuram, the film, post intermission, switches to the horror comedy zone, focusing on the ghost, its past and the trio’s comical responses. It leaves you dumbfounded with its timely, progressive messaging in the final act.
Om Bheem Bush keeps breaking conventional storytelling grammar and has a lot of fun with what it strives to tell. The director Sree Harsha Konuganti’s strength, be it Hushaaru or Rowdy Boys or Om Bheem Bush, is the buddy comedy involving his pivotal characters and their free-flowing verbal banters. The use of a mainstream style narrative to address a social taboo is certainly appreciable.
The film keeps you hooked because of the actors’ and the director’s firm belief in the material – at no point, do their attempts appear half-hearted. Even in the absurdest of situations, the conviction in the execution does the job in the scene. This also explains why Telugu cinema gets its comedies right more often than not – it has capable writers and actors with varied styles to pull off humour effectively.
The lightness with which Sree Vishnu carries himself on screen is always a delight to watch (though it may be turning repetitive recently too). As a goofy scientist who takes pride in conversing with spirits, Rahul Ramakrishna plays an insane character with the right measure of innocence. The show-stealer is, however, Priyadarshi, alternating from vulnerability to slapstick humour, with ease.
The supporting cast – from Racha Ravi to Adithya Menon to Sunaina and Srikanth Iyyangar – do the needful within their limited screentime. A shorter runtime would’ve been kinder to the senses, but those willing to drown themselves into no-holds-barred escapism, you wouldn’t have much to complain. The music barely makes any impact.
Verdict:
In comedies, only some aim for shelf life while most settle for instant gratification – Om Bheem Bush belongs to the latter and is strictly catered to a contemporary audience. Beyond the sparkling performances by the lead actors and the enjoyable verbal humour, watch out for the progressive messaging integrated into the narrative smartly.
Rating: 2.75/5
