O2

Plot: Dr Shraddha Nayak (Ashika Ranganath), with the help of her colleagues, is working on O2 - a drug that can bring back the dead. Can she achieve a medical miracle?

Review: Dr Shraddha Nayak (Ashika Ranganath), an MD in anesthesiology, is working on a drug called O2, that can help bring the dead back to life. Despite differences with her senior (Prakash Belavadi), she is amply supported by her colleagues - Dr Dev (Praveen Tej), Shrushthi (Siri Ravikumar), and Venky (Puneeth BA) in this experiment. They believe their research has paid off and are now waiting to perform a human trial.

A flashback into Shraddha’s life reveals about her father’s untimely death and the ensuing attachment issues it gave her. An aspiring musician and RJ, Osho (Raghav Nayak) is in love with Shraddha and manages to make her fall in love with him with his quirkiness. Meanwhile, when an emergency case comes to the table, Shraddha suggests using O2 drug. A mishap in the room forever changes the lives of three people, including Dr Dev. Can they come to terms with it?

The movie offers a unique experience for those who are looking for good content films. The concept is fresh and mixing it with spiritual science has also given the team an edge. Small inconsistencies and predictability takes away a bit of the thrill, though.

Ashika Ranganath is the hero of this film, and rightly so as she has given one of her career-best performances in this flick. Known for glam roles, this is a huge welcome change from the actress. From being a depressed soul in private to turning on the survivor mode whenever a case comes to her table, her switch is commendable. Praveen Tej has a dual-shade character, and he has performed well. Siri Ravikumar utilises the short screen space well, and Puneeth brings in comic relief.

Director duo Raghav Nayak and Prashant Raj showed promise. The astral travel concept is fresh for Kannada and is a welcome move.

Despite shortcomings, O2 definitely comes with enough oxygen to keep the audience alive, and the movie can be enjoyed in theatres with family.