Mangalavaaram

Mangalavaaram (2023), directed by Ajay Bhupathi, attempts to carve a niche for itself as a rural psychological thriller, delving into themes of illicit relationships, societal hypocrisy, and a woman's struggle with a unique health condition. While ambitious in its premise and technically proficient, the film's execution often struggles to maintain a consistent tone and deliver on its intriguing setup.

The movie unfolds in the fictional village of Mahalakshmipuram in 1996, where a series of mysterious deaths occur every Tuesday, accompanied by public confessions of the deceased's secret affairs painted on village walls. This immediate sense of dread and a whodunnit mystery effectively grabs the audience's attention. The newly appointed SI Maaya investigates, unraveling a web of hidden desires, betrayals, and the dark underbelly of a seemingly peaceful community.

Where Mangalavaaram truly stands out is in its technical aspects. The cinematography, particularly the night sequences and the atmospheric village setting, is commendable, creating a visually engaging and often eerie mood. The background score by B. Ajaneesh Loknath, known for his work in Kantara and Virupaksha, is a significant strength, effectively building tension and underscoring the film's psychological elements. These technical strengths contribute significantly to whatever sense of intrigue and suspense the narrative manages to generate.

Payal Rajput, in the central role of Shailaja, delivers a brave and demanding performance. Her character, afflicted by a hormonal imbalance that heightens her sexual urges, is complex and unconventional for Indian cinema. Rajput navigates the emotional and physical toll of the character with conviction, earning empathy from the audience despite the controversial nature of her condition. The film attempts to shed light on her plight and the societal ostracization she faces, positioning her as a victim rather than a villain. Other supporting actors, particularly Ajay Ghosh, provide solid performances that contribute to the film's ensemble.

However, the film's narrative coherence proves to be its Achilles' heel. While the core concept of a village riddled with secrets and a protagonist grappling with a rare condition is compelling, the screenplay often feels scattered. The blend of a murder mystery, social commentary, and a character study of Shailaja doesn't always coalesce seamlessly. The first half, in particular, is criticized for its slow pace and a series of seemingly disconnected events, creating a sense of a build-up that doesn't quite pay off until later. Twists are introduced, some effective, some less so, and the overall pacing can be uneven. Some critics found the film's exploration of "hypersexuality" in a conservative setting to be overtly displayed, potentially overshadowing its intended message about societal issues.

The director, Ajay Bhupathi, known for RX 100, attempts a bold and unconventional story. While his vision for creating a dark, thrilling atmosphere is evident, the execution sometimes falters in balancing the various genre elements and delivering a truly impactful commentary. The film tries to be a psychological thriller, a social drama, and even hints at horror, but this genre blending can lead to a muddled experience.

In conclusion, Mangalavaaram is a film with a courageous concept and strong technical merits, particularly in its visuals and sound design. Payal Rajput's performance is noteworthy for its bravery and depth. However, its ambitious narrative occasionally gets bogged down by an inconsistent screenplay and a struggle to fully realize its complex themes, leaving audiences with a mixed but undeniably intriguing cinematic experience.

This film unfolds with numerous twists right from the outset. While these twists offer excitement and entertainment for the average movie lover, many of them tend to be predictable. Despite their predictability, the twists manage to captivate the audience's attention and maintain engagement throughout the movie.

The narrative introduces a plethora of characters, contributing to the suspense and prompting spectators to harbor doubts about each one. However, as the plot progresses, the significance of several characters diminishes, creating a sense of confusion. The performances in the film, although not at their peak, are sufficiently competent given the complexity of the character ensemble.

For viewers opting for an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, it is recommended to experience the film with a high-quality music system, as the background score serves as the lifeblood of the movie. Overall, it qualifies as a decent one-time watch, providing a good source of entertainment and a few unexpected turns, even though the abundance of characters may lead to some confusion in the plot.

Definitely one time good watch! A suspense thriller that keeps one completely hooked up n the entire story revolves in a small village. First half an hour goes normal n post that intensity of screenplay is too good. Direction is fantastic in the second half. A different unique storyline. The lead actress turned victim is brilliant in acting. Originally Telugu movie avilable in Hotstar in all languages. My ratings 7/10!

Definitely one time good watch! A suspense thriller that keeps one completely hooked up n the entire story revolves in a small village. First half an hour goes normal n post that intensity of screenplay is too good. Direction is fantastic in the second half. A different unique storyline. The lead actress turned victim is brilliant in acting. Originally Telugu movie avilable in Hotstar in all languages. My ratings 7/10!

Best cinematography, awesome BGM, Superb Movie. A good entertainer. Fight scenes wonderful. Story full of twists and turns. Great music as well. All characters performed really well. Setting of this movie creates a magic. Must watch movie. Special mention about the BGM score in the movie. The BGM sets the theme. The thrill and an extra ting of sexuality add spice for the audience. The audience will definitely get impressed by the music of this movie. The story is a little slow in the beginning but maintains pace till the end. Even the comedy is part of the theme and story of the move. All in all a full entertainment.

At first let me tell something completely unbiased that Last 40Mins of this movie saved it from becoming an average movie in front of everyone. The Storyline peaked from last 40min to the very last post credit scenes ; everything was bone chilling over there. Your prospective will change suddenly during this period but again some people will discuss about some alternate ways to get that thing done with that girl's conditions as well ( You will get my point after watching this movie).

The best part of this movie is it's Powerful BGM. WooW Those Music over there in this entire movie was spine chilling and treat to our Ears for sure. The Cinematography is extremely eye catchy with it's beautiful locations and remarkable camera angles. The Director was also pretty smart in showcasing that screenplay which people loves to watch. And most importantly the way our leading character performed in this entire movie is worth getting appreciation.

Now let's discuss some Negative points regarding this movie. Although this movie peaked from Final 40Min and gave it a remarkable Ending with lots and lots of Twists and Turns still it failed to impress in the 1st half. It takes so many times to build the narrative of village and some silly things were happening in Villagers' lifestyle. The Screen writer wasted a lot of times in that part.

Again the Story itself could have been better for our leading character and with her desires.. The introduction of the Ravi in later half could have been predictable but it felt completely illogical why the writer kept him hide till that point. And of course some more Horror Points could have been added to it.

Overall a totally adult concept based movie and definitely not recommending to watch with Family. From my side it will be 6 Out of 10 Stars for it and I'll consider it as an one time watch. And of course I'll love to wait for it's next installment as it End on a note as 'To be Continued'.