O Manchi Ghost Story

The film is set in a small village that is popular for its haunted house. The ghost living there hates kidnappers and kills all those who indulge in kidnapping. On the other hand, a group of friends kidnap a girl named Keerthi (Nandita Swetha). Without knowing the facts about the haunted house, they take Keethi to the house, and hell breaks loose. A crazy character played by Vennela Kishore also joins them there. The rest of the story is about how the group of kidnappers rescue themselves from the deadly ghost.

O Manchi Ghost Review

Horror comedies are made quite often in Telugu cinema and O Manchi Ghost falls in the same category. The presence of an A-lister like Vennela Kishore makes this film quite watchable. The premise and the manner in which the story is set in a haunted house with a ghost only killing kidnappers are quite cool. The first half of the film provides decent laughs.

After a long gap, Vennela Kishore gets a meaty role, and he brings the house down on fire. Be it his one-liners or the horror comedy he creates, the star comedian is the major asset of the film. Joining hands with him is Shakalaka Shankar, who also did a great job in the first half. The jokes executed look good but the fact of the matter is that O Manchi Ghost has a very routine narration.

Apart from the twist related to Nandita Swetha, none else makes an impact. Also, there are a few characters that look forced into the narrative. This makes things look a bit over-the-top. After a good first half, things go downhill in the second. In every horror film, there is a flashback that reveals the reason behind the ghost going bonkers. The same happens here, too, but this flashback is not that effective.

As there is not much story to elevate, the director, Shankar K. Marthand, adds a lot of filler scenes that become repetitive after a point. The film ends on an interesting note and gives the idea that there will be a sequel as well. In terms of performances, Nandita Swetha does well in her role as a ghost. She has a layered character and does well within her limitations.

As said earlier, Vennela Kishore is the hero of the film, and his antics provide solid laughs in the film. Raghu Babu is okay in his role but overacts a bit in a few scenes. The rest of the star cast is decent in their roles. The production values of the film are good.

The VFX and a few thrills impress in the narrative. The dialogue is hilarious and has been used well in the narrative. The background score and a few chills have been edited well. But one of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the mundane second half. A predictable flashback, a routine ending, and some forced emotions take centre stage.

If the second half of the film had been taken care of, things would have made a lot of difference in O Manchi Ghost. But still, the film has a few well-executed laughs that stand out in the otherwise routine horror drama.

O Manchi Ghost Verdict

On the whole, O Manchi Ghost is a horror comedy with a decent first half. But the second half falls flat, with routine narration and forced emotions. All those who love to watch over-the-top horror comedies with loud humour and star comedians in lead roles can give this film a shot.

Telugucinema

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