Ohh My Dog review: Amit Rai's paw-some hero steals the show in this emotional ride
There comes a moment in Ohh My Dog when our hero stands in front of nearly 20 men armed with weapons. The odds are stacked
There comes a moment in Ohh My Dog when our hero stands in front of nearly 20 men armed with weapons. The odds are stacked against him, the villains are ready, and you wait for the camera to reveal the brave man taking them all on. Except, when it pans, there is no man standing there. There is a dog. And just like that, director Amit Rai gives Hindi cinema a charming new alpha hero: Oscar. Read Full Story The canine doesn't just play saviour; he pretty much takes charge of the film, carrying its emotions and entertainment through its two-and-a-half-hour runtime. There are newcomers who make their debuts and struggle to leave an impact. Oscar walks in on four paws and owns the screen. Ohh My Dog opens on an emotional note, with a police team burying Senapati, a brave dog they remember fondly. Amid the praise is also regret about taking her away from her puppies, and the question of how they survived without their mother. Cut to her two sons, Oscar and Momo, now separated and living completely different lives in Bihar and Assam. Momo has found a loving home, where young Apu (Maahi Rai) and his family dote on him. Oscar lives with Prince (Nikhil Kumar), a labourer at a construction site, who barely has enough to survive himself.
Yet, there is never a shortage of love for his dog. It's a beautiful little reminder that care has very little to do with how much money you have. Their lives turn upside down when Momo is kidnapped, and Prince goes missing. And here comes the film's most interesting hook: on one side is a child searching for his pet, and on the other is a pet searching for his human. The two stories run parallel, taking us into some uncomfortable spaces. The film touches upon dogs being kidnapped for meat, child labour and poor workers being duped into selling their kidneys, sometimes without even receiving the promised money. Some of these moments hit you straight in the gut. There's also a commentary on what happens when corruption seeps into those entrusted with upholding the law. And inevitably, it is those without power who suffer first: the poor, children and animals, the ones who often don't have the means, or quite literally the voice, to fight back. Thankfully, Ohh My Dog doesn't stay grim. There is plenty of warmth and fun in the search. Apu's tuition teacher joins his mission to find Momo, while the village master, played by Pankaj Tripathi, takes charge of finding Prince. Oscar following his owner's scent, picking up clues and eventually tracking the kidnappers, makes for some of the film's most delightful portions.
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