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O Teri – Film Review

Public wants sensational news like scandals and scams

  


O Teri

Pulkit Samrat and Bilal Amrohi are television journalists whose show is on a decline in popularity. They are warned by their female boss that they could lose their jobs untill they come up with something sensational, expose story of a scam or something.

They share an apartment and move around in an old model Fiat car, supposedly a lucky charm as they bought it from a successful personality. The premise of O Teri is lifted from yesteryear classic, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, yet is fraction of it on entertainment value.

Prantabh a.k.a. PP (Pulkit Samrat) and Anand a.k.a. A.I.D.S. (Bilal Amrohi) are investigative journalists who pick up a scoop here and there, the latest is that of a rare occurence of Adrak Ganesha (Lord Ganesha’s form in a turmeric). Monsoon, the channel head (Sarah Jane Dias) instantly dismisses this story which these chaps had shot with dedication and their earnestness. Monsoon lectures these raw journos that public wants something sensational like scandals and scams or something big. This is what their views desire and this will increase viewership of their TV Channel.

A CBI officer is murdered by a powerful Chairman of Sports Body. Indirect reference to a recent Sports scam involving a politician. Chairman Khawaja (Anupam Kher) comes to know that he might get exposed by the investigating CBI officer. So he gets him killed.

The dead body of this CBI officer lands up in the rear seat in the car of these scribes. There is a hunt for the missing body, and it is this incident which leads PP and AIDS to revealation of a scam involving huge amounts of public money.

They almost lose the opportunity, while a suddenly a newly built foot over bridge collapses, and they have recorded it live, which opens yet another door for these broadcast journalists.

At one point, it explores the murky games that politicians, image makers and media persons indulge in, especially in the recent times. We have a politician-builder nexus, corruption at highest levels in the administration and the canny, calculative media head and public relations executive.

Songs have been seemingly forcibly infused in the story line. A couple of them are foot-tapping, but it comes out evidently of inserting them at any point, without any relevance to the story.

Pulkit Samrat and Bilal Amrohi radiate freshness and confidence on screen. Both are hardworking, good looking dudes, ending up with this unfortunate film which has flaws in its story, editing and continuity.

Anupam Kher, for a change is natural (unlike his recent roles as that of buffonery and just goofing around). Sarah Jane Dias does well as the Head of a television channel. Mandira Bedi and Manoj Pahwa are realistic, while Vijay Raaz’s character is that of an over the top crooked politician

It is the special appearance of Salman Khan in the title track towards the end credits which is the only bright spot in this dull comedy. An oppourtunity lost, what a waste of budding newcomers and experienced cast in a plot which had the potential to be genuinely funny and a smart take on political scams, bribery, kickbacks, fraud and corrupt bureaucrats.

 

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Cast:
Pulkit Samrat as Prantabh Pratab\P.P
Bilal Amrohi as Anand Ishawram Devdutt Subramaniyam\A.I.D.S
Sarah Jane Dias as Monsoon (Channel Head)
Anupam Kher
Mandira Bedi as the Public Relations Professional
Vijay Raaz
Manoj Pahwa
Salman Khan (Special appearance in a song)
Credits:
Banner – Reel Life Entertainment
Produced by Atul Agnihotri, Alvira Agnihotri
Director – Umesh Bist
Associate Producer – Nikhil Namit
Lyrics – Kumaar, Abhinav Chaturvedi, Manish J. Tipu, Akshay K. Saxena
Music Director – Hard Kaur, Gj Singh, Rajiv Bhalla
Editor – Devendra Murdeshwar
Story – Umesh Bist, Neeti Palta
Screenplay – Umesh Bist
Dialogues – Umesh Bist, Neeti Palta
Choreographers – Remo DSouza, Mudassar Khan, Rajeev Surti
Costume Designers – Alvira Agnihotri, Ashley Rebello