Un Samayal Arayil

It is a common maxim that Romance has no age bars, however it is a topic that is rarely dealt with sensitively especially as a central theme by Indian Cinema. The romantic comedy movie Oggarane attempts to do just that around a theme of food. As it is said at the start of the movie, Life is about eating tasty food! Food, I suppose, is a metaphor for love here and that certainly has no age bars!

Prakash Raj as Kalidasa is an Archaeology official who is single and lives with just a long time servant. Sneha as Gowri is a dubbing artist and is also single. Thought both are perfect marriage material in career as well as looks, they have remained unmarried well into their middle ages. A quirky set of circumstances brings them together. Then with an under current of food and recipes, side stories of comedy and romance and even a little bit of suspense regarding adivasis, the audience is entertained with the narration of how their love blossoms and culminates.

What I liked about the movie:

• Great script and it flows very well most of the time. First half was perfect.

• Fantastic casting and acting by all. The younger love pair do seem to labor a bit but manage fairly well.

• Some of the comic circumstances were very good. We liked the potential bride interview visit the best.

What I would have liked different:

• Better pace in the 2nd half as it dragged in some places. There were 2 songs with the younger couple. One could have been cut.

• Adivasi parallel story was not concluded to my satisfaction.

• Story somehow lost the theme of food in the 2nd half.

Although the story is a remake from the Malayalam version, there is some originality introduced by Prakash Rai. The characters are light hearted and food is at the forefront of the story.

To live is to eat is a common theme that is stressed upon in the first half of the movie. The acting and story are quite standard and nothing too extraordinary.

The fact that this movie was made in 3 languages at the same time is mindblowing. The movie has its own special audience who hold it close to their hearts.

Age is no bar is another plot point that slowly develops. These views on life are unique and enjoyable.

A dish that's tasty in the beginning but starts to turn bland by the mid way.

If ever you meet a girl for the first time in your life, can you hug her very fondly publicly? I doubt that and that's what the protagonist Kalidasu (Prakash Raj) does. He plays a 49 year old archaeologist who has been alone for a very long time in life. He has come to terms with loneliness and starts living with it, only on a day, there is tryst and there seems to be an affair that blossoms well. Now this man named Kalidasu, seems mature, humane, sincere and even has that tiny flaws which are common to humans. Yet, there is huge contradiction in the way he perceived love and that was disappointing to me. A man who has been through most part of life, could have behaved in a different way instead of listening to what a youngster tells.

For the sake of building up a story, one can write anything. Now, how interesting will that be depends on many factors. This story was merely cooked up with uncalled for subplots and an age-old main plot. In Telugu itself, we have many reference of such plots like "Rajahamsa" and "Ashta Chamma".

The acting was commendable by the main leads Prakash Raj and Sneha. The other pair have just fit the bill but did not contribute much. I liked Brahmaji and M S Narayana. Others were just okay. I wish the acting could have been much better than what it actually is, at least that would have added depth to the otherwise shallow script.

The title itself I thought was misleading as there is neither and Ulavacharu nor a Biryani. There are delicacies for sure but they are something else but not the ones mentioned in the title. The writing is too weak at places. Example, the whole explanation of recipe of a cook is too long and uninteresting for me. Though the cinematography and production design was considerably okay, the biggest disappointment came in the form of editing. The cuts are either too sharp or too weak. I suppose, a few sub plots could have been easily edited out. The usage of the music is seriously questionable. Ilayaraja gave good music, but I thought that was not effectively used.

Prakash Raj gave a tailor made film typical to multiplex audiences but fails in adding some interesting aspect and instead gives a half baked dish. The intent can be appreciated but the execution is way below par.

A promising trailer need not transpire into a good movie. A rule that's proved with this film again. It's an average 2/5 film that is for audiences who want to taste something different just for the sake of trying.

Loved the direction, dialogue and acting of Prakash Rai. The new faces too have done their best in acting. The movie is different by presenting about the pleasure of being a foodie. It also says - no age bar for romance and lives out a strong message as "you are what you are and love yourself" ! Prakash Rai should have changed his laughing style to suit for his positive role since it brings his "villian" image out to the audience. It also gives a beautiful touch of Hubli Kannada. Humor keeps following all the way. The first half keeps you glued to the screen. The second half looks bit eased off.

Music by the maestro Ilayaraja is just awesome. The background tracks are crafted very well and beautifully holds its grip, supporting the presentation very well. Ilayaraja's music for Kannada movies always takes its own classic level as usual! It is a pleasure listening to every bit of it. The lyrics are kept simple but beautifully written.

The parallel story of Adivasi seemed to be unnecessarily brought in.

The movie starts off with an awesome mouth watering video and is a treat for all the foodies. This part of the movie excites the audience grabbing their interest to watch more. The humor keeps the movie alive. Excellent actors seem to have done their job in entertaining us. Though the second half of the movie is quite predictable, it is a sweet treat for all those who love simple and elegant stories. The music definitely needs special praise for those soothing and pleasant tunes. Overall a good movie but do not expect a lot from the story. Good to see Prakash Rai in a positive role for a change. The acting exceeds the expectation .Think less and enjoy the two hours.