Mangalavaaram

This film unfolds with numerous twists right from the outset. While these twists offer excitement and entertainment for the average movie lover, many of them tend to be predictable. Despite their predictability, the twists manage to captivate the audience's attention and maintain engagement throughout the movie.

The narrative introduces a plethora of characters, contributing to the suspense and prompting spectators to harbor doubts about each one. However, as the plot progresses, the significance of several characters diminishes, creating a sense of confusion. The performances in the film, although not at their peak, are sufficiently competent given the complexity of the character ensemble.

For viewers opting for an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, it is recommended to experience the film with a high-quality music system, as the background score serves as the lifeblood of the movie. Overall, it qualifies as a decent one-time watch, providing a good source of entertainment and a few unexpected turns, even though the abundance of characters may lead to some confusion in the plot.

Definitely one time good watch! A suspense thriller that keeps one completely hooked up n the entire story revolves in a small village. First half an hour goes normal n post that intensity of screenplay is too good. Direction is fantastic in the second half. A different unique storyline. The lead actress turned victim is brilliant in acting. Originally Telugu movie avilable in Hotstar in all languages. My ratings 7/10!

Definitely one time good watch! A suspense thriller that keeps one completely hooked up n the entire story revolves in a small village. First half an hour goes normal n post that intensity of screenplay is too good. Direction is fantastic in the second half. A different unique storyline. The lead actress turned victim is brilliant in acting. Originally Telugu movie avilable in Hotstar in all languages. My ratings 7/10!

What a stunt! I was so impressed by the trailer and envisioned a psychological or mystical horror. Instead, it was a whodunit mystery accentuated by a strong cinematography and terrific background score. Kudos to director Ajay Bhupathi for presenting a title and trailer so artfully deceptive and this misdirection sets the stage for the film that somehow manages to meet the expectations in parts.

Coming to the story, it is a period drama centered around a string of inexplicable murders that cast a sinister shadow over the village every Tuesday. As wave of terror sweeps the inhabitants, a resolute police officer (Nanditha Sweta) takes charge and arrives to unravel the mystery that has cast a shadow over the community. Then we have a tonal shift as the narrative deftly interweaves the present with the past, introducing Shailaja portrayed by the vivacious Payal Rajput. Her life spirals into despair after falling prey to a deceiving schoolteacher. This event leads to a series of dire consequences that intertwine with the ongoing murders in the village. To uncover the happenings, the enigma of Shailaja's past and the motive behind these chilling killings is best to witness it on the big screen.

On the downside, the film's runtime is definitely overkill. Especially the first half as it progresses, it inspires little interest untill the introduction of Payal Rajput who has given it all for this film. Even the second half has speed breakers which diminishes the flow of narrative. You will also draw parallels to classic film's such as Kantara (2022), Ave Kallu (1967), Shhh! (1993), and one of the greatest series of all time Marmadesam (1996).

On the positive, the film's last few sequences and the climax makes up for the overall impact. It's good to see the director trying out something fresh, even the sex disorder angle could've been given interesting possibilities doesn't mean it is a bad idea but it will hold your attention post interval till the climax reveal. I'm sure the wild ride in the finale will make you overlook the film's earlier flaws. Fun fact for the actress fans -There's even a sequel!

Very rarely you come across a trailer that makes you go "Bruh, what the heck did I just watch? I need to see what the movie's about!" This film had one of those, so props to the editing team for coming up with such a trailer.

The film FINALLY dropped on streaming, had to check it out. Mangalavaram/ Chevvaikizhamai is a psychological thriller set in a village where people are mysteriously dying on Tuesdays and nobody knows 'who/what/why'. While this film has some regular tropes that you may have seen in previous films, it centers around something very bold, which I didn't expect the film to do; don't think you'd have seen it before either. Also, not for kids.

Extra marks for a bold topic, but special mention to the sound design and the music team. They've elevated this film to a different level. Parts of the film also look really well shot. Payal Rajput, don't know the first thing about her, did a brilliant job. Parts of the film that didn't work for me - Twists, while good, felt slightly abrupt. I didn't like the 'comedy' in the film, felt crass and unnecessary. Take that away and nothing changes in the film. While the topic was bold, the take around it felt...like I'd seen similar films before.

This would have been a BRILLIANT film 10-15 years ago, but those times wouldn't have been okay with the primary reason behind the plot. All that said, surely worth a watch, you can give it that much, you're either going to praise for the boldness or look at everything else and say this is just the same old stuff in a new box. There's only one way for you to find out.

Best cinematography, awesome BGM, Superb Movie. A good entertainer. Fight scenes wonderful. Story full of twists and turns. Great music as well. All characters performed really well. Setting of this movie creates a magic. Must watch movie. Special mention about the BGM score in the movie. The BGM sets the theme. The thrill and an extra ting of sexuality add spice for the audience. The audience will definitely get impressed by the music of this movie. The story is a little slow in the beginning but maintains pace till the end. Even the comedy is part of the theme and story of the move. All in all a full entertainment.