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The sensational couple Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh has been the talk of the town ever since they made their relationship status official. They have acted in a film named Malli Pelli which has striking resemblances to their personal lives. Veteran filmmaker M.S Raju wielded the megaphone for Malli Pelli. Amidst good buzz, the film has hit the screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Story:

Narendra (Naresh) is a prominent Telugu actor. He has hundreds of crores of wealth, but what he lacks is peace of mind due to a couple of broken marriages. He marries Soumya Sethupathi (Vanitha Vijayakumar), but this marriage, too, doesn’t offer him peace. One day he meets Kannada actress Parvathy (Pavitra Lokesh) on a film set. Slowly Narendra develops feelings for Parvathy and communicates the same to her. Parvathy’s love life isn’t any good, but what stops her from dating Narendra is her fear of the media. What complexities did they both face to live together? This forms part of the crux of the story.

Plus Points:

The director chose to narrate this story in chapters, and this worked pretty well for the movie. Particularly “The mistake” chapter featuring Narendra and Soumya’s characters was dealt neatly. The film is about two actors who get into a live-in relationship. They find solace in each other, and it is important that the lead actors share good chemistry. The makers got it right in this aspect, and the movie has a few enjoyable moments.

The other best thing that has happened to Malli Pelli is its casting. Everyone gave a superlative performance competing with each other. Jayasudha, Annapoornamma, and Sarath Kumar make their presence felt despite their screen time. Naresh is a prodigious actor, and it was great to see him in a lead role. Naresh was in his element in this film, and he was ably supported by Pavitra Lokesh. She played her part to perfection and added depth to the proceedings.

But the show stealer was absolutely Vanitha Vijayakumar. She, as the wife of Naresh, gave a terrific performance, and she walked away with the cake. There is a decent amount of drama and fun in both halves that will invest the audiences in the film.

Minus Points:

It is known to all that the movie is based on the real-life events of Pavitra Lokesh and Naresh. Hence it might draw a severe backlash from a few individuals based on whom a few characters are designed. It is not known to what extent the things showcased in the film were accurate and to what extent they were fictionalized. Though the movie serves fun and drama, it might still be offensive for a few.

The flashback portion of Parvathy’s character is a bit stretched, causing boredom. The first half had good moments, but the second hour starts with this backstory undermining the flow. A good amount of time in the second half is wasted, and things start falling into place as the film nears the end.

Though the movie is hardly 130 minutes long, it gives a lengthy feel due to its slow pacing. The editing team could have shortened it to make things better. The very nature of the film might draw in adverse reactions from a section of the audience. Also, the movie might not appeal to those who are not interested in the lives of Naresh and Pavitra.

Technical Aspects:

Music directors Suresh Bobbili and Aruldev did an admirable job, as the songs were nicely composed. The background score was also neat. The movie looked rich thanks to the fine cinematography by Bal Reddy. The dialogues are well written, and they sound sensible too. The production values are sterling, but the editing wasn’t that great.

Coming to the writer-director, M.S. Raju, he did a decent job with the movie. He presented what he intended in a neat manner, but as mentioned earlier, the very nature of the film might exasperate a few individuals. Also, many questions would pop up in the audience’s minds regarding the accuracy of the things depicted.

Verdict:

On the whole, Malli Pelli is a tale of a bold couple that has a few things going its way. Naresh, Pavitra Lokesh, Vanitha Vijayakumar, and Jayasudha are good in their roles. M.S. Raju managed to create some good moments, but the authenticity factor remains unknown as the movie is based on the real lives of Naresh and Pavitra. Also the slow narration at times hampers the impact. Hence the film ends up being an okay watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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