‘Olave Mandara’ has authentic flavour

Film: “Olave Mandara”; Director: Jayatheertha; Producer; B.Govindaraju; Cast: Sreekanth, Akanksha, Rangayana Raghu, Veena Sundar, Nasser and Sharan; Music: Deva; Rating: ***1/2

Debutant director Jayatheertha shows his talent as a good storyteller in “Olave Mandara” . Jayatheertha may be untrained in cinematic nuances, but his creative prowess, that got cemented during his training at the National School of Drama, has really helped him in writing a refreshing, touching and gripping script.

The film looks authentic in every frame and the efforts taken to picturise this out-of-box tale is visible throughout the film. The newcomer has worked on every small detail of each frame.

There’s something new happening every moment in the film and the story unfolds in nine states. Jayatheertha makes sure the artists look the part and use the language peculiar to those regions. Thanks to the extensive research work done, the film looks real.

However, the real strength of the film lies in its visual content. Newbie cameraman Ravi Kumar, who had assisted acclaimed cameraperson Rathnavelu in the past, has done a fantastic job to capture some breathtaking visuals. Deva’s soothing music and gripping background score also helps the film to a large extent.

However, the film is marred by some little flaws which could have been easily avoided. The first 20 minutes of the film will give you a feeling of drowsiness, but it soon takes such a leap that you would wonder whether the opening sequences were indeed shot by Jayatheertha.

The lead protagonist of the film has never experienced true love and has a low opinion about girls. During a national dance competition held at Coimbatore, he meets Preethi from Assam. He wants to cheat Preethi, but is overwhelmed to see her innocence and true feelings of love. He promises Preethi that he would visit her native place and meet her mother.

While going to Bangalore, he loses his purse, mobile and credit cards. A chance encounter with a poor, innocent couple makes him determined to run towards Rani Ganj in Assam to meet his lover. In the process of this long journey, he meets many people who tell him about their experiences of love which strengthens his determination to marry Preethi.

Finally, there is a twist in the tale which ends up in a happy note.

Newcomer Srikanth shines in his role. Considering his spontaneity, it would be difficult to say that he is a beginner. He shines in the dance and fight sequences as well. Akanksha, from Mumbai, shows a lot of promise and delivers just the right expressions. But the real stars of the film are Rangayana Raghu and Veena Sundar. Raghu, in particular, has delivered such a powerful performance that it would not be surprising if he is rewarded with awards. Another actor who makes an impact is Sharan.

Watch “Olave Mandara” for its brilliant camerawork, exceptionally good performances and superb direction.