"Manamantha" is a human drama with simple emotions and subtle sensibilities. It follows the journey of four people at different phases in their life. Four different and distinct stories, different paths are interlinked in the end with a neat twist. Though the twist is not hard to expect, it has actually enhanced the emotional buildup in the ending of the movie.
Director Chandrasekhar Yeleti who is known for making thrillers like "Aithey", and "Anukokunda Oka Roju" has shown that he is also at ease directing movies with emotional content.
Stories about different people and all of them are getting linked in the end with one incident or situations is seen in films like "Chandamama Kathalu", but Yeleti treads different path here.
The four people and four different stories are linked with a completely new twist, which is what the movie's core emotion is all about. Like in "Drushyam", the final episodes of the story leaves a lump in our throat.
Like most people in regular life, Mohanlal is shown here taking "hand loans" from colleagues, becoming selfish when an opportunity comes to become a manager from asst manager. This greediness lands him in a big trouble and when he comes to know the situation has gone out of hands, the way Mohanlal repents, and goes through emotional upheaval are presented beautifully.
Apart from Mohanlal's thread, the other beautiful thread is of Raina Rao who played the role of a good-hearted kid who lands in trouble helping a poor kid. Raina and the poor kid both have played so naturally. Yeleti has shown his maturity and mark here in these sequences.
While Gauthami's thread is interesting it has been stretched beyond a point and the talk about Saree's etc are unwarranted. But one scene involving Gauthami is funny when she goes to Koti to save Rs 400 and ends up spending more than that from her purse. The typical middle-class situation is portrayed funnily.
The thread of Abhi (played Vishwanth) and his romance with Anisha Amrose gives you feel of déjà vu.
While the movie is laced with emotional scenes, all these are stored in the second half. The first half of the movie is not that convincing though it sets up the mood. On the downside, the film is excruciatingly slow.
Despite these minor flaws, "Manamantha" is one of the best made emotional dramas in the recent times in Tollywood. Director Chandrasekhar Yeleti has proved again that he is a director with a different approach.
All in all, watch the film for its emotional content, good and earnest scenes and superb performances from the lead actors.
