Feels like getting back to see a heavily loaded Malayalam movie of the eighties with plenty of action and masala? Then, Adv. Baburaj's new flick `Manushyamrigam' is one such attempt. Set in a silent village with picturesque beauty, the movie is in a typical eighties mould.
Also written by the director, the movie features him in the lead as Johny a lorry driver, with an unmanageable lust. Having been to the new village of Thalappally due to mysterious reasons, with his wife Lizy( Kiran), daughter and a distant relative( Kulappulli Leela) and her niece Sophie(Oviya), he is now nabbed by the police for rape and murder of the two young girls, including his daughter and also for stabbing his own wife to death. The stories are effectively cooked up by the police and Johny is sent to jail until David J Mathew IPS (Prithviraj), smells a rat and arrives on the scene to uncover the truth.
The big problem with the movie is that within a few minutes into the film, we are acknowledged that Johnny is not the killer, and thereafter deliberate attempts to shift our suspicions now and then to a list of suspects are planted with lesser results. The movie also has liberal skin show with the protagonist taking interest in peeping into the bedrooms and hiding behind bushes to see women bathe.
Baburaj is the star of the show, whose macho image is deliberately boosted in many a scenes, including the mandatory fight with the local goonda Vasu and his taking on the cell mates while in jail. Shown as a obsessive womaniser who tries to sleep with every women in his surroundings, the rough characterisation is effectively portrayed by the director who lends the right colours to his role and delivers a performance that's truly noteworthy. Sure, Baburaj is becoming better with every passing films.
Though presented in a conventional format, the scriptwriter in Baburaj has been able to give a realistic flavour to the story and the happenings doesn't feel unbelievable with plenty of atrocities and similar stories against women reported in media, in a daily basis. The movie has some genuine moments and interests us in parts with its suspenseful gait till the last ten minutes, where the mandatory twist to spot the real villain comes up in a rather unexciting, forced manner.
Baburaj has also effectively used the other big stars on show including, Prithviraj, who comes up in a cameo appearances in the right places, though his looks are on constant change with every passing scenes. Kiran Rathod and Oviya offer plenty of oomph factor and plays to their roles while Jagathy Sreekumar, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrans, Devan, Seema and Aiswarya are also effective.
K V Suresh's visuals and Sayan Anwar's music are just ok to suit the mood of the film..
However, a theme like this many not find many takers since the current-day audience preference tilts more towards feel-good cinema these days. At the box-office, plenty of skin show and low expectations will makes this one, an average grosser at the best.
Rating-4/10
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