'Malli Pelli' is produced by Vijaya Krishna Movies. In a pre-release interview, producer-actor VK Naresh proudly stated that the banner brought out films that were ahead of their times in the era of Vijaya Nirmala and Superstar Krishna. Characters inspired by the star couple of the bygone era are part of 'Malli Pelli'. Does 'Malli Pelli' achieve its purpose of landing a punch? In this section, we analyze the film in all its detail.
Story:
Senior actor Narendra (VK Naresh) works with Parvathi (Pavitra Lokesh), a Kannada actress, on a film. Owing to friction with his wife Soumya (Vanitha Vijaykumar), Narendra has been a joyless soul. He seeks solace in Parvathi, who, it turns out, has issues with her husband Phanindra (Ravi Varma). The going gets tough when Soumya and Phanindra decide to wreak havoc in the lives of Narendra and Parvathi.
Performances:
VK Naresh headlines this relationship drama with a strong conviction. In playing a character inspired by his real life, he shows resolve. Pavitra Lokesh's performance lacks subtlety, although she manages to sell the character somehow.
Vanitha Vijaykumar understands the cold and calculated nature of her character. Ananya Nagalla, seen as the young Parvathi, is passable. Sarath Babu is outshined by Jaya Sudha, who plays Narendra's mother.
The trailer revealed way too much. The film doesn't have anything noteworthy in terms of a casting surprise. Since the story is inspired by a real-life controversy/love story, it needed something more to keep the audience hooked. Casting actors who play themselves would have worked some magic.
Technical Departments:
Music director Suresh Bobbili's songs are stylized. The climax culminates into a striking song whose lyrics from Anantha Sriram encapsulate the self-liberation arc. The background score by Aruldev passes muster. Cinematographer MN Bal Reddy didn't have a major task at hand. Nothing out of the blue was expected of him. He manages to make the terrible wife's character look ominous through some angles. Editor Junaid Siddique opts for a non-linear narrative style at the behest of the director.
Hits:
The film's ability to become a relationship drama. The lead couple goes ahead of the social conventions in opting for a remarriage.
A surprise element in the flashback of Parvathi.
The portrayal of domestic turmoil.
Dividing the story into five chapters.
Misses:
Lack of tension in the last 20 minutes.
One-sided narrative-building.
The lack of a soul in the love story between the lead pair.
Vox Verdict:
'Malli Pelli' is not a sanitized relationship drama. It doesn't bore you even if you have been over-exposed to the story of Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh. At the same time, it has no major creative ideas or mind-blowing up its sleeve. There is a danger that you might spend time comparing your perception of real-life incidents with how things have been portrayed in the film to favour the lead pair. Your verdict will then entirely depend on whether you sympathize with the re-telling of those events.
Rating: 2.5
