Manmada Banam

Manmada Banam Review

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Trisha and Madhavan
Director : KS Ravi Kumar
Music : Devi Sri Prasad

Rating :2/5

It is…
The popular K S and Kamal combo that generates the interest, but, couldn’t quite
deliver.
Plot.
The film’s start and the initial minutes are probably the best and these minutes
are what keep you from leaving the theater mid way in the hope of the maturity
of the opening minutes coming back into the script. Nisha (Trisha) is an actor
by profession and is all set to marry the popular millionaire Madan Gopal
(Madhavan) when issues regarding her professional life lights up a conflict.
And three years later when she’s on a European holiday with her divorced friend
Deepa (Sangeetha), enters an ex-army major played by Kamal Hasan. Kamal is
hired by the ever doubtful Madan Gopal to prove to himself that Nisha has affairs
all over the place and to get the marriage thought out of his head once and for all.
Kamal serving as his private eye has his own issues to attend, a friend of his needs
money for cancer treatment.
However, Madan denies paying the agreed sum when Kamal confirms that
Nisha is not the affair kind of girl. This is when Kamal decides to twist the facts
for his friend’s well being and this move churns up all the characters into a
Panchatantram sort of screenplay pot.
What’s good?
Like said already, the first few minutes promised a lot. There was a real European
screenplay sensibility at work. Divorced mother, alimonies, smooth writing swings
from Paris to Kodaikanal and the subtle character introductions were enjoyable.
And also the un-Indian cinema like cameos from Suriya and K S Ravikumar were
pleasing.
A background score named ‘Who’s the Hero?’ and a backwards moving song
visual are some of the few memories I’ve brought back home with me.
What didn’t work out?
The plot and the writing most clearly tried to hit the Panchatantram or
Brahmachari notes which hardly worked out. The Malayali producer, a drunken
Madhavan and the sleuth kid were all characters written for that sole purpose.
The confusion and the conversations missed wit or in short the film didn’t have a
Crazy Mohan handling the pen.

Actors.
Kamal, Madhavan, Urvasi and Sangeetha did their usual – fine performances.
Trisha had a reason to act and she actually did well.