Mandharam Review: A Journey Through The Love Life Of Rajesh!

Mandharam is the latest outing of Asif Ali, who has always made it a point to bring in something different in each of the films that he does. Upon the announcement from the team of Mandharam, it was revealed that the film will traverse the life span of Asif Ali's character and that the film will have a romantic track. How has Mandharam turned out to be? Has it lived up to the promises? Read Mandharam review to get the answers.

The story of Mandharam revolves around the protagonist whose name is Rajesh. The movie takes us through the various phases of his life, right from his childhood days and the romantic encounters, the break-ups that he has had within this time span and his journey to find true love.

Mandharam is a sincere movie considering the amount of effort that its makers and actors have put into making it. There are some genuinely engaging sequences in the film penned by M Sajas and packaged perfectly by Vijeesh Vijay. Some of the sequences, especially the ones set up in Bengaluru, are really engaging. But still, what lacks in Mandharam is the element that would make it a cut above the rest of the films that have followed the same format. Hence, that surprise element goes missing and the dejavu elements step in.

The storyline doesn't have anything new to offer, apart from the proceedings in the second half, which are somewhat new to the Malayalam film audiences. Meanwhile, film-maker Vijeesh Vijay has shown a lot of maturity, especially the way in which he has etched the various phases of the protagonist. There has been a sincere approach in bringing a difference in the various phases of the protagonist. The first half and the second half of the film are in two different poles, especially in the mood and the treatment and that works for the film to a good extent.

Asif Ali has come up with a sincere performance and he once again proves that he is one among the most talented actors around. He has ably portrayed the different stages of the character and care has been given to the body language as well. Definitely, he steals the show. Special mention needs to be made to Jacob Gregory and Arjun Ashokan, who have come up with an entertaining performance. Among the leading ladies, Varsha Bollamma, who appears in the first half of the movie has come up with a decent performance, but it has to be said that her role lacked the depth. Anarkali Marakkar puts up a confident performance. Indran too makes a big mark with his short yet impactful role. Ganesh Kumar and Nandini are also a part of the star cast.

Songs of Mandharam have been set to tune by Mujeeb Majeed and they are decent. Cinematography by Bahul Ramesh deserves a special mention, especially his work in the second half of the movie. Expertise of Vivek Harshan in editing department is evident.

Mandharam stays loyal to its subject and is indeed a clean effort in that form. But still, it lacks the elements to call it as something really special. However, this one is definitely a decent watch for its genre lovers.