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Mapla Singam movie review: Enjoyable only in parts

Vemal is back in his comfort zone playing a rural youth, Anjali has a sensible role, but sadly she has no scope to perform.

Cast: Vemal, Anjali, Soori

Direction: Rajashekar

‘Mapla Singam’ begins with the conflict of two caste groups in a village - one lead by the Chairman Servai (Radha Ravi) and the other by Mahesh Babu (Munishkanth), over who gets the ‘first respect’ to pull the ‘temple car’. The Chairman’s nephew Anbuselvan (Vemal), who is a happy-go-lucky guy who hangs around with his set of friends (Soori, Kaali Venkat etc).

Anbu’s uncle is against inter-caste love marriages and especially hates ones from the opposite camp. Each time a girl from his family elopes, Anbu steps in and ensures that the couple is separated and the boy is beaten up. Despite these circumstances, Servai’s daughter (Madhumitha) falls in love with a boy from the rival group.

Anbu goes for mediation, when he comes across Shailaja (Anjali), a lawyer and sister of the boy. It was love at first sight for him and later Shailu also reciprocates his interest. Now, Anbu is a changed man. The onus of sorting out the rivalry between the two families falls on him. How he manages to accomplish this task and get the hand of his ladylove forms the latter half of ‘Mapla Singam’.

Vemal is back in his comfort zone playing a rural youth and does a neat job with it. Anjali, who has shed few kilos and looks slim, has a sensible role, but sadly she has no scope to perform. Thankfully, the director has not gone overboard to exploit her glam quotient even in song sequences. Also, there are no blood and gore scenes that are normally associated with such films.

Soori’s evokes laughter at few places like when he mouths the dialogue ‘Chief doctor vandhutaarda’ at the hospital scene when he sees Radha Ravi. Similarly, towards the climax his comic timing where he says ‘Ulaga Varalaaruleye hero heroine -a serthu vechcha ore villain nee thaan’ comes in for appreciation. Music by Rahnanadhan and cinematography by Tarun Balaji are functional.

Overall, a fun film which follows a formulaic pattern that can be enjoyed only in parts.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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