Mamangam – A well crafted yet disappointing period drama

Mamangam is one of the most awaited Malayalam movies. The fans of mega star had a hge expectation about this Padmakumar directorial. As the film finally arrived on theatres this Thursday it was really hard to avail tickets, But unfortunately the film has failed to meet the expectations.

It is produced by Kavya Film Company. Sajeev Pillai was the director in the first schedule but was replaced by M. Padmakumar. Originally shot in Malayalam, it was dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi

Besides Mammootty it stars Achuthan, Unni Mukundan and Prachi Tehlan

Plot

The film is about the Mamankam festival of the 18th century in the banks of the Bharathappuzha at Tirunavaya, in the Malabar region.The film follows Chaaverukal who plot to overthrow the Samoothiri.

With a plot having great historical importance the way it executed was not strong enough to connect with the incidents. Somewhere the film has a shade of a documentary more than an engaging period drama.

As Mamangam was always in talks since its inception and the impacts of Baahubali and those Sanjay Leela Bhansali films has brought the mindset of audience to expect another level film from this team. That’s the biggest flaw of Mamangam.

Except the first scene and the final fight, Mamangam lacked the cinematic elements which are indeed necessary to make an impact.

Performance

Besides Mammootty Mamangam stars Achuthan, Unni Mukundan and Prachi Tehlan. As always the mega star was fantastic but his role was confined to an extended cameo.

The highlight or the top performer was undoubtedly the young Achuthan. He did an absolutely praiseworthy job. The leading lady Prachi Tehlan, Unni Mukundan, Kaniha and all other supporting actors did justice to their roles.

Verdict

With such a hype and a lot of expectations Mamangam failed to impress the audience. A very lagging first half and a comparatively engaging second half Mamangam turns out as very normal period drama.