Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama Review: Suhas starrer refuses to commit to its own sentimentality

New Indian Express

6 days ago

It's not often that you get to watch a Telugu cinema these days where the leading lady gets an equally prominent role as the 'hero.' There is a refreshing candidness to Satyabhama, the female protagonist of Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama. Played by Malavika Manoj, Satyabhama is brimming with quirks, impulse, and unpredictability. Be it in the scenes where she repeatedly refers to her grandmother as 'oldie' or the moment where she instinctively rips off the wig off a stranger's head. It's Bhama's antics and madcap storytelling sessions that evoke the most laughs. And yet, underneath her childlike adventures, Bhama is a mother figure replacement for Ram (Suhas) — she slyly gets him out of his shell, helps him express his honest opinions, and eventually find his true calling. Everything that she does is for the sake of Ram's journey. Even though she might appear to be, Bhama is not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl prototype — she is a mother in the garb of one.
Cast: Suhas, Malavika Manoj, Ali, Ravindra Vijay, Anita Hassanandani
Director: Ram Godhala
Suhas starrer Oh Bhama Ayyo Rama is not a novel romantic comedy by any means, but at least it tries, in fragments and pieces. The first half is enjoyable in parts, despite its desperate attempts to play to the gallery (courtesy of its loud background score) and occasionally over-the-top energy. There are many gags and subplots in the first half that don't add up —like the one with a hunky college bully — and yet you trudge along because the overall vibe is that of mirth and quirk.