Madha Review – The Ending Works, Rest Bores

BOTTOM LINE
The Ending Works, Rest Bores

OUR RATING
2.25/5

CENSOR
‘U/A’certified, 1 hrs 45 mins

What Is the Film About?
Arjun (Venkat Rahul) meets Nisha (Trishna Mukherjee) for the first time in a pub. She is fully drunk, and he drops her. Soon they start to meet regularly and love blossoms between them. One day, Arjun has to leave to Mumbai to attend to his career-related work. In his absence, and total lack of response, Nisha slowly loses her mind. What happens next is what the movie is all about?

How Is Trishna Mukherjee’s Performance?
Trishna Mukherjee is the main protagonist of the movie. As the film is not the typical commercial variety, she gets the scope to perform that is not the usual we see with heroines in Telugu cinemas.

A part of the act requires the usual mushy side seen with the typical heroine roles. In the commercial space, Trishna fails to give the right impact. However, there is more to the part in the second half, and it is where she shines the most. The effort is visible on the screen, which comes with a lot of pain as well.

Trishna Mukherjee showcases all kinds of pain, the scared and helpless and the tarrying variety. She nails all kinds with a realistic approach in all of them. As mentioned previously, the problem is with the casual moments and scenes where Trishna is found wanting.

Direction by Srividya Basawa
Srividya Basava makes her directorial debut with the movie. She also plays a part, but more about that later. Coming to the direction, she has picked a different subject for the debut. It is not an art movie, at the same time not entirely a commercial one.

The starting few minutes of the movie are intriguing. However, when the love scenes begin, it gets into the usual clichés. The entire first half, after that point, drags. The block where the heroine is made to go through a change also adds to the tiredness due to its predictability. Some elements, like a lecture by a psychiatrist and an isolated hospital block, seem random and further confuse the audience.

In short, the entire first half lacks the gripping quality that is required to hold the audience attention. It is especially necessary when making a thriller. At no point do those thrilling or engaging moments arrive. The making also doesn’t inspire much.

The only factor that keeps the interest alive despite all that has happened is the suspense. One wants to know what is in the store, and where is the narrative leading?

The beginning of the second half tests the patience like never before. An entire block happens at a leisurely pace with raw visuals and disturbing implication. The latter is one of the better aspects, as it could have been much worse if things were explicitly showcased.

After enduring all these (much like the lead protagonist), almost like meta-work here, the movie delivers when we get into the crux of the plot. The core content isn’t new, and so is the twist, especially the former. It is just the way it is presented makes one expects something else.

The entire thing is a hit and miss deal. It is a ‘miss’ to those who could guess the pre-climax twists. But, to those who don’t, these are the parts in the entire narrative that makes the whole thing have some sense.

The suspense revealed is alright. And as said before, it is not entirely fresh. The climax connecting all the dots might raise a few more questions when we think logically. It also impacts the first half and not in en entirely positive way. Still, it is a decent end for all that has happened before.

Overall, Madha is a thriller that requires enormous patience to watch. And still, it is a hit and miss kind of deal where some might connect and other’s won’t. Give it a try if you like thrillers; otherwise, stay away.

Rahul Venkat and Others?
Apart from the lead, who takes most of the screen-time, there are minimal artists. Venkat Rahul, ideally the hero, is also one among them. He has something to do in the first half, but, goes missing, literally, after a point. He also does nothing besides raising eyebrows and mischievously smiling.

Bikramjit Kanwrpal is alright in the role given to him. It brings a freshness to the character. Anish Kuruvilla starts well, but in the end, he is given a part that is way above his dramatic scale. He tries his best, but there is no positive impression. The rest, which includes Ravi Varma is wasted.

Music and Other Departments?
There is one song in the movie which is utterly forgetful. The background score is intriguing and adds to the mood of the film. The cinematography is alright considering the low budget scale. The combination of the bgm and cinematography along with the leading lady’s act is what holds the attention even when nothing is happening. The editing could have been better. The writing is okay.

Highlights?
Climax
BGM
Mood

Drawbacks?
First Half
Boring Narration
Not Enough Thrills (for a thriller)

Alternative Take
Remember the few films of Vijay Antony that came in the wake of Bichagadu – Madha could alternatively be made in that style with a slightly bigger budget. With more money and some commercialization, Madha could also be made the 118 way.

Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, towards the end

Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with huge reservations

Madha Review by Siddartha

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