Nayanthara in O2. We only realise the true value of things we take for granted when we don’t have enough of it. We value water more during a drought and oxygen when it’s low in supply. In O2, director-writer GS Viknesh hacks into our paranoia of running out of the very substance that sustains our life: oxygen.
The opening of the movie is very cliche. For the first 15 minutes of the movie, we get repeated shots and a song to establish a rudimentary point about a mother’s unconditional love for her son. After we get past some expendable narrative obligations, we get to the interesting part. Parvathy’s (Nayanthara) son Veera (Rithvik) suffers from a medical condition that requires him to be on oxygen support round the clock. But, his suffering is about to end, as he will soon undergo a life-saving surgery, which will allow him to breathe normally without any support. Parvathy and Veera are headed towards a Cochin hospital for the surgery. Everything is packed, including an extra oxygen tank and Veera’s pet pot plant. Both play a crucial role in the events that are about to unfold.
The bus that Parvathy and Veera take is brimming with conflict. A corrupt cop, with a handgun and a bag full of cocaine, a convicted felon just released from jail, a pair of lovers, who are planning to elope, a father who has no clue that his daughter is planning to elope, a morally flexible politician and a bus driver in a constant moral dilemma are the companions of the mother-son duo in a journey, which turns traumatic in no time.
A landslide buries the bus carrying Parvathy and Veera and turns the vehicle into a massive coffin. As the people in the bus continue to bicker without being aware of the actual problem at hand, Parvathy intervenes and enlightens them about the grave situation they are in. “We are stuck inside a coffin. We are running low on oxygen.” She advises the passengers to not use up all the air in the bus by physical and mental exertion. They all seem to understand the gravity of the situation, at first. But, soon everything begins to fall apart.
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Fear begins to bring out the worst in everyone. And the corrupt cop becomes an agent of chaos by pushing people over the edge and making them choose between clear, guilt-free conscience and a puff of medical-grade oxygen. The people who look kind, reasonable and just turn into killers, and those we assume are the worst turn out to be the good ones.
Amid all the drama, we know that Veera’s oxygen tank will become the valuable currency for which people would kill. So, Viknesh plays with our minds as the situation keeps swinging from hope to despair. There are times when the situation turns tolerable with the passengers finding a way to bring in fresh air into the bus. But then the bus falls deeper, upending all hopes of survival. We feel relieved by the thought that Veera will be safe now with oxygen in circulation. But for how long is the question that keeps us invested.
O2 is a pretty engaging survival drama which distinguishes between brute force and real heroism. We sometimes seem to confuse heroism with physical prowess. But, heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Watch O2 on Disney Plus Hotstar.
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