Manmatha Leelai 2022 Review - A Perfect Adult Comedy which isn't Vulgar
Manmadha Leelai's narrative is intercut between incidents that take place in two time periods. In 2010, Sathya (Ashok Selvan), a college freshman, invites himself to the home of Poorani (Samyuktha Hegde, who does an excellent job in a challenging part), a girl he'd been chatting to online. He schemes to get laid while her 'father' (Jayaprakash) is out of town. Meanwhile, in 2020, Sathya, who is now a prominent fashion designer, welcomes Leela, an IT employee who has arrived at his door by accident, into his home. Sathya sees this as the ideal time for a one-night affair because his wife Anu has gone to visit her family with their young daughter.
Venkat Prabhu alternatively cuts from one night to the next, showing us how these two evenings unfold for his protagonist. The fluid editing (by venkat Raajen), informed by the competent writing, ensures that this non-linear storytelling is free of jerks, with scenes moving smoothly from one timeline to the next. These scenes are written in such a way that they mirror each other, according to venkat Prabhu. Both of these gatherings take place on a rainy night and include drinking and a change of attire. The gaze is obviously male, as it is in adult comedies. Sathya is portrayed as a predator who deftly manipulates women in order to obtain what he desires - sex.
The first half, on the other hand, is more or less a lighthearted romp. When a family member who has been absent returns unannounced in both timelines, the movie reaches its halfway point, keeping us on the edge of our seats, wondering if Sathya will be caught. venkat prabhu maintains the same lighthearted tone throughout, creating uncomfortable moments in which his protagonist is on the verge of being revealed. And we begin to wonder how the director will tie these songs together, given the wide range of options available to him. In one of these histories, he even throws us a mouth-watering twist in the middle that turns the screws on his main, puncturing his ego.
Unfortunately, the director, who previously pulled off an even more intricate story with Maanaadu, opts for the well-worn path here. What started out as a suspenseful adult comedy quickly devolves into an unoriginal crime film with a facile conclusion and predictable surprise.
Venkat Prabhu alternatively cuts from one night to the next, showing us how these two evenings unfold for his protagonist. The fluid editing (by venkat Raajen), informed by the competent writing, ensures that this non-linear storytelling is free of jerks, with scenes moving smoothly from one timeline to the next. These scenes are written in such a way that they mirror each other, according to venkat Prabhu. Both of these gatherings take place on a rainy night and include drinking and a change of attire. The gaze is obviously male, as it is in adult comedies. Sathya is portrayed as a predator who deftly manipulates women in order to obtain what he desires - sex.
The first half, on the other hand, is more or less a lighthearted romp. When a family member who has been absent returns unannounced in both timelines, the movie reaches its halfway point, keeping us on the edge of our seats, wondering if Sathya will be caught. venkat prabhu maintains the same lighthearted tone throughout, creating uncomfortable moments in which his protagonist is on the verge of being revealed. And we begin to wonder how the director will tie these songs together, given the wide range of options available to him. In one of these histories, he even throws us a mouth-watering twist in the middle that turns the screws on his main, puncturing his ego.
Unfortunately, the director, who previously pulled off an even more intricate story with Maanaadu, opts for the well-worn path here. What started out as a suspenseful adult comedy quickly devolves into an unoriginal crime film with a facile conclusion and predictable surprise.