Oram po is one of the coolest movies of the recent times. The movie is an absolute trend setter of all sorts for Tamil cinema. The movie is in the lines of The Fast and the Furious, infact its a localised version of the same. The Fast and the Furious had Hondas, Nissans, Volkswagens and Chevrolets burning rubber for money, Oram po the local reply has Bajaj Autos, the very same and very familiar yellow cart racing all the way for money.
Oram po is a light hearted film directed by a husband and wife duo, Pushkar and Gayathri. The duo created extraordinary hype for the movie with their trailer which I remember seeing in screens for quite sometime. Check out the trailer below before you read more.
Aarya plays Chandru, the hardcore Chennai Schumacher who instead races autos on highways, Lal is Bigle, one of the hi-fi auto mechanics of the city and John Vijay is Son of Gun, another auto mechanic. Aarya, Lal and Sun of Gun are a riot all through the movie. Every quarrel between the Bigle gang and Sun of Gun gang ends with a race. This is where the cameraman Nirav Shah and music director G.V.Prakash Kumar scores and has made an impressive mark. The editor Antony too has played with his blade and scissors.
Oram po breaking cliches has come out with a hero who not only races, wins, boozes but also gets laid inside an auto with a pretty briyani belle Rani. Pooja as Rani is a little too much (read: way too much) for a briyani shop helper. Aarya manages to impress her with ease and is with all plans of dumping her after getting laid.
Like the Nitrox boosters fitted to the Nissans in The Fast and the Furious, Lal finds ingenious ways to pep up autos by fitting extra carburettors and extra accelerators for higher speeds. Lal has found a solid role in Tamil films for the first time and is all ease with his part as he perfectly slides into the slippers of the auto mechanic Bigle. The Sun of Gun John Vijay although being the movie’s villain wins the audience’s heart with his performance and dialogues. I don’t remember seeing John Vijay in any other film. The films content and its form has been synchronized to perfection by the Oram po crew, the artists, the locations and more importantly the dialogues by Kumar Rajan are just too perfect.
The movie has broken cliches a million times in this movie, right from the characterisation to the screenplay written. Even the climax race which means a lot to the winning back of assets by Lal is lost by Aarya. Very fresh and very much acceptable. The movie also has a diamond deal happening in between the racing episodes between Bigle and Sun of Gun which does not pep up or dampen the movie’s pace. An out and out entertainer. I am definitely going for a second time.
And here is a small trivia: The barber shop in the movie is the same shop where I trusted to give my head for a couple of years … near the 12B bus stand on Kutchery Road.
This certificate entitles this blog for unrestricted viewing by any citizen of any country in this planet or the neighbouring ones. The blogger shall not be held responsible if you break your head or your laptop or both after reading this blog.
This is definetly a movie I’m going to look forward to seeing here in the Us, if it makes it.
@ javits
its too good to miss … if not the cinemas at houston, you should be able to lay your hands on the dvd s.
Hi Dinesh
Wonderful review! I didn’t see the movie yet, but the trailer appears to be good. It uses the caricature technique. I remember seeing them in the movie ‘Azhakai Irukkiradu Bayamai irukkiradhu’. Quite innovative plot, I don’t think this one would be a trendsetter since Tamil audience, very rarely accept stories, which is not larger than life. But movies like Kaadhal,dishyum and autograph, escaped this plague. Anyhow, movies of this sort should be encouraged. In the recent past I have not seen a single avant garde tamil movie. Let me hope that Oram po would do the needful. The only thing that opens a can of worms for me is that the Fast and furious factor. I will never accept writers who plagiarize like a whining schoolboy,writing his assignments.
ur blog excellent
@ capjack
hi dude, i definitely feel there would be some racing movies coming up in the following months … the only issue is about acceptance of these movies … people complain if a movie’s ending is cliched, they also complain when the movie’s ending isn’t cliched … i heard people complain that the movie had an abrupt ending but i found the climax good … the hero who bets everything on the final race loses the race … cant expect more … loved it
and this is not a blatant plagiarism … that word would suit cameraman turned director jeeva alone. pushkar and gayathri have done a vey good job … its just that they’ve taken the thread from the fast and the furious
Hi Dinesh
If its not plagiarism but just the concept, then its fine. By the by did you see Billa?
@ capjack …
in that case there is going to be a lot of movies that you are going to hate …
billa ? no dude, missed three shows in a row … that too free tickets
Hi Dinesh
Saw Oram Po today. Really a good one, needs to worry if one misses. Good plot and realistic incidents. The story’s narration and movement is very similar to Chennai 28. Even the ending is tied up well. On the whole, a lovely, lively and cheerful movie. But the movie makers have forgotten the audience for whom they are making the movie. When you are producing a movie for the masses, there are certain formalities and conventions to be adhered. If one follows those rules, he can be successful to an extent. A perfect example of this is movies of Mr. Perarasu. Even the climax would produce a better effect if tweaked a little. Also the screenplay’s speed goes low particularly during the rising action and falling action. John Vijay, who is supposed to be a comic villain would appear too comic and little satanic for an ordinary theater goer.{people participating in the South Indian reality shows and their parents should not miss this movie!}
@ capjack
i guess you watched it in theatre because antony and gv prakash has done some awesome work
speaking about the climax here, i bet this is one of the finest climax in tamil in the hollywood style, the movie ends in the least expected way
i havent watched any perarasu movie still but i find them really commercial and fast paced and completely low class …
oram po is not the usual movie, its one movie that comes rarely and makes head turn but then the movie turned up to be an average grosser, not even a hit, thats really sad
i believe john vijay has given a very good performance, he is here to stay but then as a villain he was only doing comedy, the fact that he is an auto mechanic is no where established like the way lal got