BOTTOM LINE
Dull Urban Divorce Comedy
OUR RATING
2/5
PLATFORM
ZEE5
What Is the Film About?
Vikram (Sumanth), a chef by profession, has a troublesome marriage with Nisha (Varshini Sounderajan). Unable to bear the torture any longer, Nisha asks for a divorce and it’s supported by Vikram.
Post-divorce, Vikram falls in love with Pavi (Naina Ganguly), a friend of Nisha. How their relationship grows via ‘Reset’? What are the problems faced the second time around is the basic premise of Malli Modalaindi.
Performances
The role of Vikram is tailor-made for Sumanth. His age factor is also neatly blended into it and the whole set-up and body language are modelled close to his real self. It is therefore a likeable act, for the most part.
If there is an issue with Sumanth, it is mostly due to the role and how it’s written. It comes across as irritating at times and the forced energy shown by the actor doesn’t help the cause. The small ‘mass’ touches too seem unnecessary. All said and done, the likeability factor remains as it’s Sumanth’s comfort zone.
Analysis
TG Keerthi Kumar directs Malli Modalaindi. It deals with the life of a married guy post-divorce.
The topic of divorce and the reaction to the couple (male or female) post-divorce is perennially relatable. Keerthi Kumar tries to present the whole thing in an urban rom-com package. The idea is fine, but the final result is far from satisfactory.
The first and foremost thing is that it takes almost an hour for Malli Modalaindi to begin. When we know where the story is headed it feels pointless waiting for the narrative to reach that point with nothing exciting happening.
The clash of husband and wife is alright, and it’s used for a later payoff and also the end, but the way it’s executed is flat, boring and uninteresting. One is disconnected from the whole thing from the start.
The real story kicks in when the expected happens during the pre-interval and interval portions. The issues with second marriage or life after divorce are funnily depicted. It could have been funnier, though. The director only skims the surface here.
The proceedings then shift to the ‘Reset’ which is a nice idea. However, it is again used more for entertainment sake than anything meaningful. There is a brief debate on mental health and coming up with problems etc, but they only get a cursory mention.
The second love story again takes a predictable approach and reaches a dead end. The issues for it, the situation of Vikram, his fear with a commitment to marriage and everything shows sparks of an engaging urban drama. Unfortunately, it is all handled amateurishly.
The breakup and the other subplots are all tiresome and lack proper direction and control. One gets a feeling that things are all over the place. And yet, the predicament of the hero seems genuine and is the only reason for anyone to be remotely interested in the proceedings.
After a point, we know a change is round the corner, it is but expected. To then bring a character out of nowhere and give a message that is so out of ‘tone’ with the rest of the narrative feels untoward. It should have been brought about in other ways keeping consistency.
The climax has double twists. While one can see one coming miles away, the other is alright. It is also predictable but is certainly less than the other. The whole thing ends happily as a result, but one also can see how manipulative the entire thing is.
Overall, Malli Modalaindi has a relatable, even though oft-repeated, theme. It has some funny bits, but the whole thing is utterly predictable, and flatly executed.
Others?
Naina Ganguly, Varshini Sounderajan and Pavani Reddy are the prominent female leads in the movie. Naina Ganguly is the main one among them. She is alright playing a typical modern girl with complete clarity. Varshini is irritating and bland at the same time. Pavani Reddy is the tomboyish ‘friend’ we see usually in urban tales. She is alright.
Suhasini and Annapurna are the senior artists along with these new faces. Annapurna generates fun in her inimitable style whereas Suhasini gets calmer yet important moments for her. Posani Krishna Murali puts his typical message delivery to good use during a key scene. Manjula Ghattamaneni overacts putting a face that looks like holding off uncontrollable giggles. Prudhvi Raj is wasted.
Music and Other Departments?
Anup Rubens provides music that is a little bit classier than his usual attempts. The background score is okay. Shiva GRN’ cinematography is fine keeping the low budget scale of the project. The editing by Pradeep E Ragav could have been better. The writing is flat and is a significant reason for the lack of impact.
Highlights?
Few Entertaining Scenes
Basic Theme
Length
Drawbacks?
Predictability
Writing
Weak Characters
Alternative Take
Cutting down on the pre-divorce portions and also improving the conflict resolution sequence at the end.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, Very Few Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Massive Reservations
Malli Modalaindi Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti
