A Review with a Few OMG Moments !!

A Review with a Few OMG Moments : My quick take on movie “Oh My Dog” (Theatrical release)

OMG! How did they shoot this?

OMG! How did they make a dog ‘act’?

OMG! How did they gather this dog crowd?

And believe me, there will be many more OMG moments when you watch this OMD!

Oh My Dog! is deceptively simple. It arrives looking like a plain-vanilla children’s film, only to quietly remind you that adults have tear ducts too! 😄

On the performance front…

The young Maahi Rai, playing Apu, is simply awesome. His innocence, curiosity and that little Sherlock Holmes streak make him a delight to watch. The boy has an effortless charm that makes you root for him.

Pankaj Tripathi does what Pankaj Tripathi does best. He doesn’t appear to be “acting”; he simply inhabits the character with his trademark naturalness. No fireworks. No overacting. Just Pankaj being Pankaj.

And then there is Pawan Malhotra, in a relatively small cameo, proving an old cinematic truth:

It is not the length of the role that matters. It is the length of the impression it leaves.

His screen presence says exactly that.

The actors from the Northeast deserve special mention too. They don’t merely fill the frame. They bring authenticity to the story and make the setting feel lived-in rather than manufactured.

But the Acting Oscar?

Please make way for Oscar the dog!

This four-legged performer is simply par excellence.

The expressions. The timing. The reactions. The eyes.

There are moments when Oscar communicates more with one look than some actors manage with a five-minute monologue, background score and three dramatic close-ups!

And the irony is delicious:

The dog named Oscar may actually deserve an Oscar! 😂

And then there is the camera…

The cinematographer deserves a huge round of applause for capturing the beauty of the Northeast so beautifully. The landscape isn’t merely a backdrop. It almost becomes another character in the story. (God’s own country has a rival now)

What particularly struck me was the sensibility of the filmmaking. There is a certain simplicity, restraint, warmth and visual storytelling that reminded me of the best Malayalam cinema.

Who says Bollywood can’t rival the Malayalam industry?

Perhaps Bollywood has finally realised that good storytelling doesn’t always need a loudspeaker. Sometimes, it just needs a good story, a beautiful landscape and a dog who knows exactly where to look! 😉

Confession time…

I am a dog lover, so yes, this take may be slightly biased.

But somewhere between Oscar’s soulful eyes, the wagging tails and the emotional roller coaster, this film made me miss my Mishoo. (thanks to AI bringing back my Mishoo to life)

And perhaps that is the film’s greatest achievement.

You may walk into the theatre expecting the children to clap.

You may walk out clapping yourself… and discreetly wiping a tear.

So, take a bow, dear director, for giving us this seemingly plain-vanilla children’s film where an adult would come out clapping as well as teary-eyed.

OMD may stand for Oh My Dog!

But after watching it, you may find yourself saying:

OMG… how beautifully they made a dog steal the show!

Four paws up.

And yes, this is one slightly biased, very happy dog lover’s recommendation.