Minnaminungu

Just like most of the low budget parallel films in Malayalam this film also suffers from an amateur feel throughout the runtime. Although most of the film is average in almost every section there are a few saving graces. One positive is that such films usually tend to indulge in an artificial arthouse approach which usually fails but that is not followed here. Although most of the actors tend to act like they were in a play rather than a film it is the protagonist played by Surabhi who elevates the film to a whole another level. The national award-winning performance does tend to follow others at times but she does rise above it and totally owns the film.

Saw this movie today - wonderful movie- have seen many ladies in day to day life ,facing almost similar situations in their life and are struggling really hard to meet their daily needs- the real lady superstarzz Surabhi- you are such an ammmazinggg actress...keep it up.

I watched Minnaminungu (Primevideo w. Eng. s/t) as I was swayed by all the rave reviews!

To sum up, this is a sad, sad, SOB story. Its okay but not a brilliant film.

As with a significant number of Malayalam films, the characters were real, the sets, the location, etc. were very real. The camerawork was good. The acting for the most part was effective. I wasn't impressed by Charu the daughter (Rebecca Santhosh), she came across more as fake rather than callously indifferent to her mother and grandfather's situation which is what she really was.

Surabhi Lakshmi as the mother was for the most part quite real but it stretched the imagination that she would go to such an extent as to sell her house for her daughters future. She also did not act these scenes convincingly. Likewise her father (Balu Narayanan) was good until the house selling part when he too was not convincing.

The plot is fairly good though as I mentioned above, it has not been enacted convincingly towards the latter part. Also the movie dragged quite a bit.

Minnaminungu is watchable for sure, but its too much of a sobby story, mediocre towards the end.

Just goes to show that everyone has a different perspective and one can not blindly go by other peoples reviews.

Minnaminungu has a great moral to its straightforward story, and that's about it. Surabhi Lakshmi plays a lethargic poverty-stricken single mother who works petty jobs to fill few stomachs and educate her only child. Director Anil Thomas starts out his film with a story that he thinks has never been said before and narrates the harrowing days of this mother who breaks her back to make ends meet. How this naive lady falls prey to the world's evil ways is basically what the story is about, but the last 10 minutes make it quite different from what you have seen previously in this genre. However, for a story to be fully effective, it has to be produced with some talent and quality. And that's where Minnaminungu fails. From low-quality production setup to amateur actors who seem to be paid modestly and directed even more modestly to shaky cams and drone lenses to awkward dialogues, Minnaminungu suffers from a lot of filmmaking issues which automatically makes it an unpleasant affair. But, if you only focus on Lakshmi and her realistic character who seems to be taking all the wrong decisions in a matter of a few weeks, then this drama would be a fine watch. They say that for a good story to be elevated it needs great filmmaking, and Minnaminungu is where a good story has been executed in the worst way possible. Don't expect too much from anyone here and you will be rewarded. TN.

She is an everyday woman of india. And she is a single mother raising a teenager singlehandedly.. juggling multiple jobs, struggling to make both ends meet.. Surabhi Lakshmi, who plays the protagonist completely takes over the character with her impeccable superb performance .. the way she carries herself, the determination, the phlegm on her face and the fire in her eyes as she delivers a ten on ten performance .. the movie is no melodrama.. however, one can't help a lump in throat esp watching its conclusion ...