Oopiri () is a 2016 Indian bilingual comedy-drama film directed by Vamshi Paidipally and produced by PVP Cinema. The film is shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages; the latter titled Thozha (). It stars Akkineni Nagarjuna, Karthi (in his Telugu debut) and Tamannaah Bhatia while Prakash Raj, Ali, Vivek, Jayasudha, Kalpana and Tanikella Bharani playing supporting roles. The narrative focuses on the lives of Vikramaditya, a quadriplegic billionaire, and Seenu, his ex-convict caretaker, highlighting their realisation of the importance of life and relationships over money and disability.
Oopiri is a remake of Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache French film The Intouchables (2011). The rights to remake The Intouchables were acquired by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga in May 2014, who later authorised PVP Cinema to produce adaptations in regional languages, making Oopiri its first remake. Principal photography took place from March 2015 to February 2016 in locations including Chennai, Hyderabad, Paris, Belgrade and Novi Sad. Gopi Sundar composed the film's music, while P. S. Vinod was responsible for cinematography. Madhu and Praveen K. L. edited the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.
Oopiri and Thozha were released theatrically worldwide on 25 March 2016. Both films garnered critical acclaim for the performances of the lead actors, their cinematography and Vamshi Paidipally's direction in adapting the original story. The films won two awards at the 64th Filmfare Awards South: Best Director (Telugu) for Paidipally and Best Cinematography for P. S. Vinod. Additionally, Paidipally received the Best Director Award at the 6th South Indian International Movie Awards. Oopiri is regarded as one of the "25 Greatest Telugu Films of the Decade" by Film Companion.
Plot Vikramaditya is a wealthy entrepreneur whose life changes drastically after a paragliding accident in Paris leaves him a quadriplegic. Selflessly prioritizing the happiness of his girlfriend, Nandini, he abruptly severs all contact with her, hoping she will move on and find a fulfilling life with someone else.
Five years later, Vikramaditya lives a spiritless, highly routine existence in his mansion, assisted by his secretary Keerthi, his cook Lakshmi, and a team of house attendants. Seeking a new full-time caretaker to assist with his daily physical needs, Vikramaditya and Keerthi interview several candidates. While most applicants act obsequious and overly sympathetic, a completely unqualified applicant named Seenu stands out. Seenu is a street-smart convict out on parole who has only applied for the job on the advice of his lawyer, Lingam, to prove to the court that he is maintaining a law-abiding lifestyle. Outside of his legal troubles, Seenu is a disappointment to his family; his mother, a railway clerk, has disowned him to protect his younger siblings from his perceived bad influence.
Amused and refreshed by Seenu's absolute lack of pity and blunt honesty, Vikramaditya hires him, defending the unconventional choice to his long-time friend and legal advisor, Prasad. Though initially reluctant and clumsy, Seenu adapts to the demanding role, learning to dress, feed, and manage Vikramaditya's physical therapy. Along the way, Seenu openly flirts with the strict Keerthi, who constantly chides him for his irreverent attitude.
During his time at the mansion, Seenu discovers that Vikramaditya has been maintaining a purely pen-pal relationship with a woman named Priya. Seenu pushes him to take the next step and meet her in person, but a fearful Vikramaditya refuses, terrified of how she will react to his paralysis. Meanwhile, family drama strikes Seenu when his younger sister, Swathi, faces rejection from her boyfriend's family, who view her household as poor and disreputable due to Seenu's criminal record. When Swathi bitterly blames him for ruining her life, Vikramaditya steps in. Utilizing Prasad’s legal influence, Vikramaditya quietly handles the situation with the boy's father, Kaalidasu (Kaalidasan in the Tamil version), ensuring the marriage is approved. A tearful and grateful Seenu thanks Vikramaditya for restoring his family's honor.
Following a birthday celebration, Vikramaditya suffers a severe, life-threatening respiratory crisis overnight but is stabilized by his medical team. Learning more about Vikramaditya's vibrant, thrill-seeking past from Prasad, Seenu suggests a change of scenery and proposes a vacation to Paris. Vikramaditya agrees, traveling to France alongside Seenu and Keerthi. In Paris, Seenu continually boosts Vikramaditya’s morale. He even makes a playful bet: if Vikramaditya can successfully charm a beautiful French dancer named Jenny on a date, Seenu must finally ask Keerthi out. Vikramaditya wins the bet using his quick wit, and a reluctant Seenu asks out Keerthi, who happily accepts.
While in Paris, Seenu secretly tracks down Nandini. He reveals the truth about the accident and arranges a surprise reunion. Nandini is overjoyed to see Vikramaditya again and introduces him to her husband, Abhinav, and their young daughter, Aadhya, proving to him that she found the happiness he always wanted for her. Later, Seenu hitches Vikramaditya’s wheelchair to a customized motorcycle ride through the city streets, allowing the entrepreneur to feel genuinely free for the first time in five years.
Upon their return, Seenu's younger brother, Kanna, falls into dangerous trouble with a local gang and seeks shelter at the mansion. Recognizing that Seenu's family desperately needs him back home, Vikramaditya selflessly fires him, gently telling him that he shouldn't spend his entire youth pushing a wheelchair. Seenu transitions into a stable life as a cab driver, finally earning the love and respect of his mother and siblings. However, without Seenu's vibrant energy, Vikramaditya falls back into a deep, reclusive depression, refusing to take care of his health.
Deeply concerned, Prasad reaches out to Seenu for help. Seenu returns to the mansion, kidnaps a stagnant Vikramaditya, and drives him on a road trip to Visakhapatnam (Pondicherry in the Tamil version). After getting dressed in elegant suits, Seenu escorts Vikramaditya to a high-end restaurant featuring a beautiful, serene ocean view. Moments later, Seenu slips away just as Priya walks into the restaurant to meet Vikramaditya for the first time. Looking out the window, Vikramaditya spots Seenu standing by the shore, who smiles warmly at his friend before walking away into the sunset.
Cast
Cameo appearance
Production Development Karan Johar and Guneet Monga acquired the Indian remake rights to Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache French comedy drama film, The Intouchables (2011) in May 2014. They planned a Hindi version, directed by Mohit Suri. Johar and Monga later authorised PVP Cinema to remake the film in regional languages, postponing their previous plans. Vamshi Paidipally was chosen to direct a Telugu film titled Oopiri. Oopiri is the first Indian remake of The Intouchables. It was also the first Indian remake of a film produced by Gaumont.
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. was signed to play one of the two male leads. At Rama Rao's suggestion, Paidipally forwarded the script to actor and producer Nagarjuna for the other male lead. Nagarjuna asked the director to remove the flashback scenes, opting for a realistic version closer to the original. Paidipally agreed, and the script was reworked in two months. Production was scheduled to begin in December 2014, when Nagarjuna would be available. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, the actor said that the film's theme would be similar to Missamma (1955). Rama Rao Jr. left the project due to scheduling conflicts with Nannaku Prematho (2016), and was replaced by Karthi in October 2014. Karthi's inclusion in the film led the makers to make the film as a bilingual titled Thozha in Tamil.
Gopi Sundar was signed as the film's music director, his first collaboration with Paidipally. Oopiri had two launch ceremonies: the first on 11 February 2015 in Hyderabad and the second on 15 March in Chennai. P. S. Vinod was the film's cinematographer. Paidipally worked on the screenplay, assisted by Hari and Solomon with the adaptation. Abburi Ravi wrote the dialogue for Oopiri, and Karthi asked filmmaker Raju Murugan to do the same for Thozha. Madhu and Praveen K. L. edited the Telugu and Tamil versions, respectively.
Casting
Nagarjuna played the wheelchair-using quadriplegic in the film, and a ₹25 lakh customised wheelchair was imported from Sweden for the role. An assistant checked to see if the actor moved his limbs during filming, and scenes had to be re-shot a number of times. Nagarjuna found the process "extremely challenging", and his legs sometimes became numb. Oopiri was Karthi's first Telugu film, although he was popular with Telugu-speaking audiences who saw dubbed versions of his Tamil films. Rajeev Kamineni of PVP Cinema told The Hindu that Karthi was cast to combine actors who were audience favourites and had not collaborated before.
Karthi played the caretaker, reprising Omar Sy role in the original. He called his character "terribly insensitive", but becoming refined at the end. Despite his fluency in Telugu, Karthi wanted to practice his dialogue in advance since scenes in both languages would be shot at the same time. He had to be louder in Oopiri, and used local Tamil slang in Thozha. The actor said that some changes were made in the remake, since some situations in the original "just could not work in the Indian scenario". Shruti Haasan was chosen as the female lead in January 2015. After she walked out in March, citing scheduling conflicts, she was replaced by Tamannaah Bhatia. Her character, Keerthi, was modelled on the secretary and the caretaker in the original. The actress had to look corporate for the role, which she called a "bridge of sorts between the protagonists"; she was a "constant spectator to every emotion they go through".
After Haasan left the film, PVP Cinema claimed that her scheduled dates (from 10 December 2014 to 8 April 2015) were assigned for her convenience and the actress was civilly and criminally liable. The Nampally city court restricted her from agreeing to any new film and ordered a police investigation. According to Haasan's spokesperson, neither the actress nor Raaj Kamal Films International were legally notified. Haasan withdrew her defamation suit in April 2015 after R. Sarathkumar and Kalaipuli S. Thanu intervened, and the court dismissed PVP Cinema's case.
Prakash Raj, Ali, Vivek, and Tanikella Bharani were cast in key supporting roles, with Jayasudha and Nikkita Anil playing Karthi's mother and sister. Kalpana made her Telugu-film debut in Oopiri, but she died in her sleep at age 50 during filming in Hyderabad. Anushka Shetty and Adivi Sesh made cameo appearances as a couple; the former played Nagarjuna's ex-girlfriend in the film. Gabriella Demetriades was cast in August 2015 after auditioning with five other international models in Hyderabad, and the film was her South Indian acting debut. Nora Fatehi made a special appearance in a song, and Shriya Saran had a cameo appearance. The Telugu and Tamil versions had a slightly different supporting cast to suit the nativity of both audiences.
Filming