mental madilo full movie review

MENTAL MADILO MOVIE FULL REVIEW:-

                                                           Mental Madhilo is a Telugu movie starring Sri Vishnu and Nivetha Pethuraj in prominent roles. It is a comedy drama directed by Vivek Athreya, with Raj Kandukuri as the producer, forming part of the crew. 

                                        Aravind Krishna (Sree Vishnu) doesn't know what he wants from life and is indecisive when faced with numerous choices. While his parents help him take small decisions in life, will he be able to decide on matters related to love? Aravind succeeds in all facets of life, except for when he has to take a decision or talk to girls. Shy, awkward and insecure around girls, he gets by in life with the help of supportive friends and family. His parents want nothing but to see him 'settle down' and after facing 12 rejections, they set up his pelli choopulu with Swetcha (Nivetha Perthuraj).

                                                        Beautiful, independent, opinionated and secure with her decisions in life, Swetcha is everything that Aravind isn't. But then, as they say, opposites attract, and before they know it, the two fall in love and begin dating in the weeks leading up to their engagement and marriage. A tragedy right before their engagement however puts a stop in the revelry, but manages to bring them closer.

                                                         Aravind leaves to Mumbai for a month on work, leaving behind a heartbroken Swetcha. Problems crop up when he meets a quirky girl, Renu (Amrutha Srinivasan). How an indecisive Aravind manages to take a decision that changes his life and of those around him, forms the rest of the tale.

                                           'Mental Madhilo' is a tale narrating the beautiful intricacies in love, friendship and heartbreak. While the first half of the movie takes its own sweet time in setting up Aravind's character and his love arch with Shwetha, the second half veers more towards the events that transpire in Mumbai between him and Renu. To reveal more would be a great injustice to a tale that deserves to be seen.

                                          The movie is beautiful in the way it breaks gender and societal stereotypes in a very subtle manner. The father of the groom (Shivaji Raj) is a loving man, laced with age-old chadastam that he's too nice to reveal. The son is a shy and 'demure' individual who has his reasons for being the way he is. The girl has no space for insecurities or lies in her life and is confident enough to take her own decisions. The mother of the bride doesn't care about any societal constraints, and just wants her child's happiness.

                                                                      'Mental Madhilo' is practical in its approach to relationships, making it clear that love is easy to come, but making a commitment is what is difficult. The way the film is written is both its boon and bane with the narration being a tad slow for most impatient movie-goers used to fast-paced narratives. But then again, it is exactly this slow pace that allows the filmmaker to explore the beautiful little things in life, like the father arranging the mother's saree kuchhilu before heading out to an event, the groom being made to work even on his engagement day or the bride and groom eloping to Goa right before their wedding because that's the only way they can find some privacy.

                                        The writing deserves a mention, especially for tying up all loose ends beautifully and slowly threading the first half and second together in a series of events. The cinematography and music by Vedaraman and Prashanth R Vihari are on-point. Sree Vishnu, Shivaji Raj, Nivetha Pethuraj and Amrutha Srinivasan are beautiful in their roles, breathing life into everyday characters.