Mithra Mandali Movie Review – Cringe Unleashed

BOTTOM LINE
Cringe Unleashed

RATING
1.5/5

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CENSOR
U/A, 2h 18m

What Is the Film About?

Thuttekula Narayana (VTV Ganesh) is a caste fenetic. He goes to any extreme to protect the same, and being the leader, wants to become an MLA. As fate would have it, his daughter falls in love with Chaitanya (Priyadarshi), who is an idle youth roaming around with friends, they are collectively known as Mithra Mandali.

How did the love story of Chaitu and Swecha (Niharika NM) end? The movie’s basic story is what happens to Mithra Mandali amidst all the chaos that ensues following the love between them.

Performances

Priyadarshi is an ideal cast for the part. He has played similar roles previously, too. So, there is nothing surprising in his work or act. He does the required, but nothing stands out even within this space, as he gets nothing, frankly.

Niharika NM is riddled with poor characterisation. The basic lack of continuity with her character, and the way she’s used and the dialogue make it instantly irritating and forgettable, to say the least. Niharika had the presence, and together with Priyadarshi, they looked like a decent on-screen pair for a comedy, but nothing worked between them.

Analysis

Vijayendar S directs the movie. It is a senseless, loud and over-the-top farcical comedy with a very flimsy story holding it all together.

To be fair, the movie opens with a disclaimer that it’s only for laughs and aimed at the meme crowd and generation. It further adds that “Ee Katha Leni Katha” (the story without a story) via a dialogue immediately. One already gets the gist, and yet despite the caution at the very start, the whole thing feels like a threat as the narrative progresses.

The opening block involving the key character Thuttekula Narayana is headache-inducing. We get the point, but things are stretched and executed at a pitch that, when seen immediately as soon as the movie begins, one is sure to be taken aback.

Maybe it’s that loudness effect, the proceedings that follow introducing the heroes and their world feel a little less loud, even when they actually are.

As mentioned at the very start, there is hardly any story, so the narrative rests heavily on the gags to pull through. One is surrendered to this mindset. However, the gags lack the bite, and the scenes feel forced and are trying very hard to make one laugh.

A few one-liners and some parts do work like the Vennela Kishore introduction or the Very Important Character’s intro, or the phone number sequence, etc. But, they are few in a narrative that rests very heavily on them.

The love track doesn’t work at all. There is no fun at all in the sequences related to them. At the same time, situations around them don’t show any growth after an initial promise in their introductions.

The result is that the narrative feels sluggish, lacking the forward momentum a film like this desperately needs. The few moments don’t come together to create the energy to hold things together. They happen randomly and might give a chuckle or two, but that’s it.

And that’s how the first half ends, making one hope there is a stronger, racier and cohesive proceeding post intermission.

Unfortunately, the second half turns out to be a damb squib, making one look at the first half in a better light. The gags just don’t land as expected. There are a few punches here as well, but they are much fewer compared to the first half.

The one involving the member’s head, Govardhan, not getting in the car, for example. There is a punch here, and it lands, but the scene is played out, and stretched in a way that one has already lost interest by the time the punch lands. It is mainly the case with the second half.

Also, the main plot and the many sequences make us strongly register the limited setting and making of the film. It is all happening in one location, and nothing much is happening that engages. It leads to a tiresome feeling, even though the runtime is short.

The climax wraps up things okayishly. But, given the tiring and moving-in-circles narrative, otherwise, one is just relieved that the whole thing has ended.

Overall, Mithra Mandali has a wafer-thin story that relies heavily on the gags and nonsensical entertainment to pull things through. But it fails to deliver on them big time, as promised. Whether alone or with a gang of friends, the movie is bound to irritate and bore.

Performances by Others Actors

Rag Mayur, Vishnu Oi, and Prasad Behara are the other three members of the gang, which is collectively christened Mithra Mandali. Everyone gets to do something throughout the proceedings, but there is hardly anything that manages to create an impact. They are okay and do the given adequately, but miss the spark that makes the character stand out.

In comparison, Vennela Kishore and Sathya have better roles from the laughter perspective. The latter, especially playing “An Important Character”, brings the house down momentarily, initially. But that is short-lived as the role turns out to be merely a convenient choice to move the narrative forward. Sathya is quite literally an important character, as without him the film would be nonexistent.

VTV Ganesh gets another major role. He is okay in his typical style, but after a point, it definitely feels overdone. It’s fine if it’s for a few sequences and coming in between, but to have it continuously gives an overbearing feeling. Jeevan Kumar is okay. There are a few more notable faces, but none have much presence like the ones mentioned above.

Music and Other Departments?

RR Dhruvan provides the music. The songs are forgettable. The background score takes cues from popular bits and builds on them, and is alright in places. Siddharth SJ is the cinematographer. It is terrible. The movie bears a short-film look and lacks the big-screen appeal. Peekay’s editing could be better. There is a messy feel to the flick, the way it’s cut.

Highlights?

Some One-Liners Here And There

Short Run Time

Drawbacks?

Messy Narrative

Zero Impactful Comedy Block

Second Half

Poor Characterisations

Too Loud

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

No

Mithra Mandali Movie Review by M9

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