After making a sensation debut with ‘RX 100’, director Ajay Bhupathi failed to make an impact with ‘Maha Samudram’ which was his second film. His third movie ‘Mangalavaram’ raised a lot of expectations with its promotional content. Many are hoping that it is going to be a comeback film of Ajay Bhupati. Let us see if ‘Mangalavaram’ reached those expectations of the viewers or not.

Story:

A few suspicious deaths take place in 1996 at Mahalakshmipuram village which is located in the Godavari region. These deaths happen on Mangalavaram (Tuesday) which is considered as the favourite day of the village goddess. With two people dying immediately after their names were written on the wall due to infidelity, the whole village gets terrified. While the entire village believes that the deaths are suicides, SI Maya (Nandita Shweta) thinks that they are murders. A few suspicions arise that Shailaja (Payal Rajput) who died recently became a ghost and is causing these deaths. Is Shailaja really related to these deaths? How did Maya solve this case? The answers form the crux of the story.

Analysis:

If we look only at a few bold scenes of ‘RX100’, many would think that it is a below-par movie that tried to lure youngsters through steamy sequences. But they created a trend in portraying the heroine character. No other filmmaker in Telugu cinema dared to showcase a heroine in that manner. People have witnessed many twists but the way Payal’s character turned out in the movie shocked a lot of people. Ajay Bhupathi should be credited a lot of thinking outside the box. After making such an impactful debut, Ajay Bhupathi disappointed heavily with ‘Maha Samudram’. Many thought that he is just a one film wonder. But he changed that opinion with ‘Mangalavaram’. He presented the heroine’s character in his unique and sensational style. The twists showcased in the last thirty minutes took the movie to another level. Though there are some loopholes in the script, the director managed to give a different mystery thriller and movie lovers will enjoy it.

Talking about this film, Ajay claimed that no one in this country managed to discuss what he touched in this movie. Looking at the film, he is correct to a certain extent and he is not at all exaggerating. We don’t know if he got inspired by the female lead role he wrote from ‘RX100’ or not but he added a new angle to it and presented Payal’s character in an amusing manner. If the character in ‘RX100’ is looking from a positive angle, then it is this film. Heroine’s role is the USP in this movie too as she is a key part of the story despite the less screentime. We cannot digest a few scenes in the flashback portions. We wish for it to be over soon and people wonder how the director manages to convince the audience with such scenes. But the director showed his talent in the immediate scene and answered all the questions which were raised till then.

We are in a time zone where the writers are giving stories which are revolving around twists and not the other way around. The audience too became very clever as they are predicting what would happen next. But Ajay Bhupathi manages to surprise the audience on multiple occasions in ‘Mangalavaram’. The regular twists that arrive one after the other in the last 40 minutes stun the viewers. A few cinematic liberties were taken and logic went missing as well. Sometimes the film goes over the board but it still thrills you. The climax scene stands as the highlight. But the way in which the movie starts and the first half runs is quite ordinary. There is a lot happening but nothing moves forward in terms of the story. Nandita Shweta’s character was given a lot of buildup which is not necessary and they irk you to an extent. The movie threads the path of any other mystery thriller with predictable scenes. With not many turns, the first half seems to have gotten a bit dragged. ‘Mangalavaram’ gets on track in the second half and Payal’s entry makes the audience get involved more in the proceedings. Despite the ordinary first half, the movie connects in the latter parts. Barring a few scenes that test the patience of the audience, ‘Mangalavaram’ gives the feel of having watched a good thriller.

Performances:

After looking at ‘RX100’, many said that not many actresses can do the female lead’s role like Payal. She played a very bold character in that film and she once again got such a chance with ‘Mangalavaram’. We get shocked seeing her appearance and bold act in the movie. We get a feeling that only Payal could have done this role. She got an even better chance of showcasing her acting talent and emotions in this film. People are sweetly surprised with her performance in this movie and it will be remembered for a long time.

Nandita Shweta is okay in the strict SI role. Her dubbing did not suit her at all. Krishna Chaitanya did very well in the limited role he got. Priyadarshi’s role will surprise you and he impresses you in the small screen time he gets. Ajay Ghosh brought a few laughs in an otherwise serious movie. The actor who did his assistant’s role was good too. Riya Pillai too acted well in this film and so did Ravindra Vijay.

Technicians:

We can see the technical brilliance in ‘Mangalavaram’. Ajaneesh Loknath became a master in delivering music for mystery thrillers. His music elevated a lot of scenes in this movie. His work was quite crucial in making the proceedings engaging. The few songs present in the film were decent as well. Cameraman Dasaradhi Shivendra too gave the visuals that are required for the script. The night episodes stand out and the quality in visuals can be seen. The production values are adequate. The dialogues gelled well with the scenes and one can confidently say that Ajay Bhupathi gave a strong comeback with this movie. Though it shouldn’t be compared to ‘RX100’, he picked a bold story once again and narrated it in an arresting manner. The movie gives you the vibe of a regular horror thriller to a large extent but the unimaginable twists at the end showcase his uniqueness. The different writer and good technician in Ajay Bhupati can be seen in this movie.

Verdict: ‘Mangalavaram’ – Bold & Thrilling!