Mangalavaaram

Mangalavaaram is technically excellent. To start with, the cinematography is top-notch. It has gripping visuals, particularly in the sinister episodes. The background music deserves appreciation more than anything else in the movie. Ajaneesh Loknath’s BGM is the soul of Mangalavaaram. The screenplay is good. There were some boring sequences like the chaos at a local function and dragged sequences in the second half.

Ajay Bhupathi tries to bring out the double standards and hypocrisy of society with regard to amoral sexual relations by juxtaposing them with the troubles of a sexually deviant character. The contrast here kind of works against the primary purpose. Hyper-sexuality or open display of sexuality in a woman is bound to be criticized anywhere in Indian society, more so in a village like Maha Lakshmi Puram. Having dealt with a woman who daringly pursues her desire in RX 100, his first film, Ajay, perhaps, wanted to go a step higher with this film. His ambition to outdo himself may have weighed too much on the movie. The message gets lost somewhere in between. The director succeeds in creating a world with various interesting characters.