Release date : August 05, 2016
123telugu.com Rating : 3.5/5
Director : Chandra Sekhar Yeleti
Producer : Varahi Chalana Chitram
Music Director : Mahesh Shankar
Starring : Mohanlal, Gautami
Director Chandra Sekhar Yeleti is known for his unique story lines and out-of-the-box films. Re-introducing Mohanlal to Telugu film industry in a full fledged role, he has come up with an unique project called Manamantha. Also starring Gautami as the female lead, this film has hit the screens today. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Manamantha is based on the lives of four different individuals. Sairam(Mohanlal) is a simple assistant manager in a supermarket who is eagerly looking to climb up the success ladder in his job.
Gayatri (Gautami) is a down-to-earth housewife who finds happiness in straightforward things and is always looking out for her friends and family members.
Abhiram (Viswant Duddumpadi) is an intelligent college student who has big aims in life and always helps others around him.
Mahita (Raina Rao) is a cute schoolgirl who watches out for others before thinking about herself. How the lives of these four characters change in a matter of a few days with an interesting incident forms the crux of the story.
Plus Points:-
The biggest plus point of Manamantha is the plot that the film revolves around. Chandra Sekhar Yeleti takes extra care to make sure it never bores the audience. He cleverly turns a family drama into an entertaining and unique thriller.
Even through the story line is simple, the screenplay changes the game and twists are introduced periodically. Another positive for the film is the near perfect casting. Mohanlal is a treat to watch and gets into the skin of his character with ease. His emotions and body language are splendid in the film.
Gautami proves yet again why she used to be the best in the business and is sublime as the housewife. Another actor who impresses is Viswant of Kerintha fame. He portrays his character well and is a talent to watch out for in the future.
Debutante Raina Rao as the schoolgirl is a surprise and walks away with all the applause. The way the suspense is maintained throughout the film and how all the story lines come together at the end was handled excellently.
Minus Points:-
The biggest down point of Manamantha is the cinematography. A movie carrying such a beautiful story line needs to have some gripping camera work. Visuals are not up to the mark and give the film just an okay effect.
Also, since the characters do not meet till the end of the film, fans might be a little disappointed. Abhiram’s characterisation could have been a little tighter. Anisha Ambrose’s role needed more clarity.
Technical Aspects:-
Being a Sai Korrapati film, the production values are splendid. Background music by Mahesh is impressive. Editing is apt and the different story lines have been woven nicely through an interesting screenplay. Dialogues are excellent.
Coming to director Chandra Sekhar Yeleti, he once again proves that he has ample amount of talent and this is clearly visible with Manamantha. The way he took a simple story line and made it thrilling is just amazing. He also excelled in extracting the best performance from his actors.
Verdict:-
On the whole, Manamantha is a unique family thriller which impresses you completely. Movies like these are rare to come by and when they do, they are a treat to watch. The near perfect casting who gets into the skin of their characters is seamless and undoubtedly the greatest asset for the film. It would be really interesting to see how the commercial audience lap up a serious film like this. Finally, Manamantha is a movie which can be enjoyed thoroughly. Go for it.
123telugu.com Rating : 3.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team