CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress / ITDC News Bhopal: If you were to hand-pick a few moments from Allari Naresh’s Aa Okkati Adakku and watch them without context, you might take the film for a self-aware satirical comedy with its heart in the right place. Naresh gets many meta dialogues to speak of his comedic talents; Viva Harsha and Vennela Kishore frequently appear in situations offering ample space to force some laughs; and there’s a strong, relevant “message” at the centre of it all. But don’t let all that fool you, for this is a poorly-written comedy that infuriates us by taking itself too seriously, and even when it desperately wishes to be funny, it does nothing worth remembering.
Let me take you through a scene to show how chaotic and stale the writing gets in this film. The screenplay wants the heroine to cross paths with the hero. Our hero and his comedian buddy (Kishore) pose for photos on a beach rock. The heroine, to prove to her friend that all men are the same, tricks the comedian into entering the water and offers to hug and kiss whoever saves the drowning man. Every man on the beach rushes to his aid, except you-know-who… so she hugs and kisses him. Reserve all your doubts and reactions for later as this is not even the most cringe-worthy scene in the film.