Om

Cast	:	Shivarajkumar Prema
Director	:	Upendra
Music	:	Hamsalekha
Producer	:	Parvathamma Rajkumar
Release Date	:	May 19, 1995 (Re-released on February 28, 2015)
Length	:	2 Hours and 30 Minutes

My Thoughts

The movie starts with underworld activities and a gruesome murder. And, then there is a lady journalist named Shashi (I specifically say “lady” because the movie was made a good 20 years before, remember?) who makes cover stories on what forced rowdies to become rowdies. As she interviews more and more rowdies, she also hands them over a book penned by her – named “OM”.

And thus begins the movie…

A raunchy rowdy named Satya played by Shivarajkumar forces Madhuri, a beautiful college-going girl played by Prema. We see that Satya is obsessed with Madhuri and acts like a possessed man when he thinks about her. Shashi comes to know that Satya is madly in love with Madhuri. As she enquires more about Satya she comes to know that Satya became rowdy for love! Whether Satya gets Madhuri’s love? Will they get married? Will Satya leave underworld? Or will Madhuri find a way out of Satya, forms the rest of the movie.

The narrative is gripping with several twists. The cinematographer has captured the rawness of the underworld very nicely. The night scenes are well showcased too. The music and background is done by Hamsalekha. “I love you and you must love me” is either sung in cores or the instrumental is played in the background. The superhit “ye dinakara” soulfully sung by Dr. Rajkumar reiterates why he is still celebrated and missed by Kannada film fraternity and lovers. “College Kuamara” song is also nice; I loved its choreography. The dialogs need special mention. They are brilliant!

Prema as Madhuri has a pivotal role. She shares equal share space as the hero. She has acted very well. The various shades in her character has been well-portrayed.

Shivarajkumar as Satya has performed at his best. His transformation and animal-like vindication is amazingly portrayed. His voice modulation, body language and even eyes express.

More than my words, the movie is re-released several times over last twenty years. It has withstood the test of time.

So do not miss it!

Rating

4/5

PS: The movie was first released in 1995 – two decades before! Those were the days of Dhoordharshan and every Thursday, “Ye Dinakara” song will be played. I vividly rememeber Shivarajkumar clad in dhothi, praying. When I saw Om’s posters recently, I felt younger by twenty years. I decided that I have to watch it!