halfway through Ottu, one wonders whether it is a thriller, a road movie or a regular gangster flick. Because, there are elements here that can make it belong to any of these styles.
Till the end of it all, questions still remain as the makers themselves have not decided what they want from the film. The end credits then allude to the possibility of a prequel and sequel, after which ‘Chapter 2’ in the title makes some sense.
Planning a three-part series may also be one reason why a lot is left untold in the film. In the end, it looks like a puzzle with a few missing pieces, leading one to wonder whether it has enough of a stand-alone movie.
Unemployed young man Kichu (Kunchako Boban) plans to move out of the country with his girlfriend Kalyani (Isha Rebba), who has secured a job in Norway. To finance this plan, he joins a mysterious group to befriend David, aka Dawood, (Arvind Swami), a dreaded underworld don who has completely lost his memory after a shootout. takes up the mission. Kichu needs to help him regain his memory, which can help the group locate some missing sleeping places.
director Fellini Teipee, who debuted with thevandiaim for a big canvas in OttuWritten by Hemant Kumar. However, the ambition reflected in the star cast and the elaborate setting along the south-west coast stretching from Mumbai to Mangaluru, partly due to a lifeless script, does not translate well on screen.
The film invests heavily on the road trip that Kitchu takes with David as a means to rekindle his memories, which are closely intertwined with his past. Much of this journey is marked by extreme boredom, except for a few interesting scenes, with the plot progressing at a glacial pace. The only thing that works to an extent is the chemistry between the two actors and their evolving relationship during the journey.
Looks like the plan is to surprise the bored audience, with a flurry of twists and high-flying action in the last few minutes. Despite the really surprising twist, this plan doesn’t work out well. Paired with the fact that the makers put everything on hold for a very long time, there are pointless action sequences that are staged unimaginably.
A cameo of Jackie Shroff makes us wonder if he were to include another popular name in the cast, as not much effort has been put into writing that character.
way Ottu The proceeds don’t excite enough of the promised prequels and sequels.