Maranthen Mannithen

Story: Two newly weds Malli (Adi), an earnest fisherman and spouse Chitra (Lakshmi) get washed away in the floods manage to stay afloat by hanging on to a hay stack. Even as they struggle to stay alive the two come clean to each other about some sticky issues from their past.

Movie Review: On August 15 1986 both Godavari districts witnessed one of the worst ever floods in its history, as 30 lakh cusecs of water drowned the region. It’s been 26 years and perhaps for the first time ever – we’ve had innumerable movies shot and even more dream song sequences set in the pristine locales of the Godavari – the calamity has found a representation in mainstream Telugu cinema. That could be a cause for celebration in itself, but this isn’t a disaster movie though.

The floods just form the backdrop for a poignant human drama – that is real and devoid of the usual melodramatic tendencies – that unfolds. In its sheer form, this is path breaking cinema (now there really isn’t much to choose from in Tollywood is there?), as path breaking as any that’s been made, since the turn of the new millennium for sure.

For starters there isn’t a hero or a heroine; they are all characters that play their parts in the narrative. Malli is a lowly fisherman who makes a living plying a boat across the Godavari. Chitra is the only daughter of a widow who dreams of getting married to her cousin, Suri, a young man with a penchant for betting on fighter cocks.

Then there is Sarala, the feisty daughter of a rich landlord who takes a fancy to Malli and is unapologetic about it. “Anthe na nee magathanam? Maa nanna kottichina debbalaki nuvvu magadinann mata kuda marchipiyinattu unnavu” (You seem to have forgotten that you are a man after the beating you got from my dad’s henchmen) she challenges an inebriated Malli as he is walking away after threatening to outrage her modesty. The love-making scene that follows sets a new benchmark for physical intimacy on screen. It’s aesthetically titillating!

In fact the ladies outshine the men for a change. Lakshmi Manchu and Taapsee carry off their roles with panache complimenting each other. Taapsee has the bolder role and she carries it off confidently. Lakshmi plays the coy village belle, very convincingly, though people might complain about her look in the movie. This must be her best performance till date. Both Adi and Sundeep do a decent job as well.

The filmmaker has used the landscape as another character in itself. The cinematographer used the pristine landscape of Godavari – in all light conditions from sunrise to pitch darkness – brilliantly to add an emotional depth to the proceedings. The art department also deserves a pat on the back for having managed to capture the milieu of the eighties believably.

You could find fault with the computer generated imagery of the floods. It isn’t as real as the rest of the movie. The emotional curve makes up for the lack of authenticity in the flood episode. The writing is spot on and most importantly free of commercial leanings. Save a couple of dream song sequences and an item number, there are no forced commercial elements like a forced comedy track, fights etc. The narrative moves at a pace of its own constantly going back and forth in time.

Music by Ilayaraja comes as the icing on the cake. The maestro has packed the music with the lilt of the eighties, in keeping with the spirit of the film. The background score in particular is a master class. It’s not like the movie is free of faults, there are quite a few loose ends. You don’t know how Malli and Chitra get hitched? Also how could they manage to perch themselves on a haystack when the whole region is submerged under water?

It’s just that the movie gives you plenty to rave about in terms of “cinema value”. But will this work at the BO? We’ll have to wait and see.

Tip-Off: It’s the story telling that stands out, and is bereft of the silly clichés that dominate Tollywood potboilers. But if “masala” is your thing, you’ll have to look elsewhere.