Ohh My Dog

It’s not every day that comes a Hindi film where one sees dogs; it’s even rarer to see them upstage humans so effortlessly. What makes Amit Rai’s feature Ohh My Dog all the more special is that he has opted to shine a light on the local ‘indies’ rather than pedigreed breeds. This lends the film a certain rootedness, a sense of relatability and authenticity. One of the dogs happens to be Rai’s own pet Oscar, but the scene-stealer here is the professional Bruno, a year-and-a-half old who runs, barks and always has a look of purpose and determination. This isn’t a four-legged creature whose sole objective here is to make audiences go ‘Aww’ (that he naturally does), but more ‘Whoa’ at his physical prowess and olfactory powers.

There is something intrinsically disarming about dogs in cinema. Whether they are steadfast companions on perilous journeys, mischievous family pets, or silent witnesses to human joys and sorrows, dogs possess an emotional currency that few cinematic characters can match. Their loyalty is uncomplicated, their affection unconditional, and their ability to connect with children almost magical. Ohh My Dog, directed by Amit Rai, attempts to tap into precisely this potent emotional space—evoking the warm, uncomplicated pleasures of a time when Indian cinema could tell children stories that were entertaining, humane and morally resonant without talking down to them.

At a time when man’s best friend is caught between systemic neglect and empty sentimentality, writer-director Amit Rai eschews melodrama to craft an absorbing thriller with a moral spine. Somewhere in Assam, young Apu’s attention-seeking dog, Momo (Oscar) goes missing. The local policeman, who looks well-meaning, tells him and his mother that their pet would have become a delicacy by now. Around the same time, deep in Bihar, Prince, a young construction worker, goes missing. There too, the ‘helpful’ custodian of law shows little interest in following the missing boy’s footprints. But the tech-savvy Apu doesn’t give up hope, nor does Oscar (Bruno), Prince’s street friend. In different timelines, as they launch their search-and-rescue missions, we get an engrossing tale with a message ensconced deep within.

कुत्तों को इंसान का सबसे वफादार दोस्त माना जाता है। हालांकि, इस दोस्ती और वफादारी पर बॉलीवुड में ‘तेरी मेहरबानियां’, ‘हैलो’ और ‘चिल्लर पार्टी जैसी गिनी-चुनी फिल्में ही बनी हैं। ऐसे में डायरेक्‍टर अमित राय की फिल्म ‘ओह माय डॉग’ इस फेहरिस्त की एक मजबूत कड़ी है। फिल्म इंसान और डॉग्स के रिश्ते पर बनी भावुक और संवेदनशील फिल्म है, जिसमें इन बेजुबानों की वफादारी को सलामी देते हुए उनके प्रति करुणा और नरमी दिखाने की सीख दी गई है।

Why do we dog out the dogs that roam our streets and neighbourhoods? That is the question that writer-director Amit Rai poses in Ohh My Dog, his third film. Don’t these four-legged creatures, he asks, have the right to exist in peace? By way of an answer, Rai crafts an entertaining film that centres on two adventures - yes, two separate adventures - that play out parallelly over a single day in two different cities, one in Assam, the other in Bihar. The unrelated stories involve a sharp-witted Dibrugarh schoolboy whose pet goes missing and a street-smart mutt in Patna whose human companion, a young construction worker, is kidnapped. It is a dog-eat-dog world out there and courage and quick thinking are of the essence. The child summons up all his resolve and intelligence and the canine its innate animal instinct to push back against those that have caused them distress.

Kids and dogs are an irresistible combination. Ohh My Dog gives us, yes, dogs with their undying love and loyalty, which make you remember a time when Indian cinema made films which children could watch with delight. In an Assam village, Apu (Maahi Rai) discovers his beloved Momo has gone missing. Both the distraught boy and his mother (Geeta Aggarwal Sharma) go to the local cop-station to file a complaint. A policeman (Vijay Mishra) is finally moved by Apu’s distress and swings into action, but he is too slow for the smart kid with sharp sleuth instincts (a nice Satyajit Ray-Feluda touch there), who begins tracking his beloved Momo with the help of his teacher (Sulakhyana Baruah).

As ‘Sone do’ plays sombrely in the background and a dog-soldier is laid to rest, humans-and-doggie moments accompany the opening credits. There are two starkly different tracks. Pet Momo has gone missing. He used to bark in sync with the blowing of the conch at the family puja every day. Young geeky Apu (Mahi Rai) who can solve Rubik’s Cube without looking at it, won’t accept the weak response of SHO Yusuf Ansari (Vijay Mishra) whose police station is full of pictures of missing dogs. Mom (Geeta Agarwal Sharma) has accepted the inevitable when she unties the knot in her saree (tied as a prayer to Lord Hanuman to find Momo) but Apu and his tech-savvy mind won’t give up so soon.