Movie Review - Mayilu is a test of patience!

You just wonder why some movies are made. Mayilu was initially launched as a joint venture of Prakash Raj’s Duet Movies and Moser Baer along with Velli thirai and Abhiyum Naanum. And with Illaiyaraja scoring music you definitely expect a quality venture of minimum guarantee. For reasons unknown the movie has been lying in the back burner for a considerable length of time and has now been released and we do not see Duet Movies’ name associated anywhere.

Plot

‘Mayilu’ suffers from lack of a cohesive plot. It looks like some random collection of scenes heading nowhere. The title which has great recall value due to ‘Padhinaru Vayadhinile’ seems wasted. It has very little relevance with the film itself. The title character is nothing to rave about and is downright silly. The climax sticks out like a sore thumb and does not give you the shock that it was intended to. For such a climax to work you need the audience to invest their time in the lead character. But here you are least bothered about Mayilu. The love track lacks soul and is a complete letdown. This is the major drawback of the film. You even wonder whether the two leads are actually in love with each other. Apart from a few scenes of physical intimacy there is nothing that would make us believe so.

Cast

Shammu (of Kanchivaram fame) does a decent job. She is supposed to be the tomboyish and loud mouthed girl who is tender at heart. But her character seems half baked and suffers from lack of credibility. Newcomer Sri has a long way to go and he has to improve his histrionics. He seems expressionless for the most part and seems a miscast.  None of the cast actually stays in your mind. The comedy track of Ganja Karuppu is outdated and Viddharth seems wasted in a miniscule role. (This was probably shot long before Myna!!!)

Crew

Cinematographer turned film maker Jeevan is responsible for story, screenplay, dialogue, lyrics, cinematography and direction. Apart from his core competency as the man behind the lens, he does not impress a lot in the other areas. Music by Illaiyaraja is the only saving grace of the film. The songs fit the rural milieu and a couple of them are hum worthy. But that’s about it. They cannot save the film any further. It is never a good sign when you are waiting for the film to end even before the intermission.

Bottom line

This is Jeevan’s second directorial venture after Gnabagangal (with Pa. Vijay as the lead). His intention was probably to make a realistic rustic tale with a climax that tugs your heart. But Mayilyu neither entertains nor engages.

Rating - 0.5/5