Rating:
3.5/5
Star
Cast:
Mammootty,
Neeraj
Madhav,
Siddique,
Unni
Mukundan,
Prachi
Tehlan
Director:
M
Padmakumar
The
hype
surrounding
a
film
like
Mamangam
needs
no
introduction.
The
movie,
which
has
the
magnificent
Mammootty
as
the
main
lead,
has
come
in
as
the
biggest-ever
motion
picture
in
the
history
of
Malayalam
cinema.
Historical
movies
aren't
that
common
but
we
have
had
some
brilliant
films
in
the
past,
which
are
still
considered
to
be
classics.
Has
Mamangam
joined
that
league?
Did
the
film
live
up
to
the
expectations?
Read
our
take
on
Mamangam
to
get
a
broader
picture
regarding
all
these.
Plot
Mamangam's
tale
is
set
in
the
late
17th
century
and
the
movie
takes
us
through
the
story
of
the
members
of
Chandothu
Tharavadu,
who
had
vouched
to
overthrow
the
Zamorin
King
during
the
Mamangam
festival,
which
happens
once
in
every
12
years.
Script
&
Direction
First
thing
first,
as
the
director
M
Padmakumar
mentioned
in
an
interview,
Mamangam
is
not
a
Baahubali
and
it
is
a
film
with
the
right
mix
of
class
and
mass
elements,
with
the
former
ruling
the
roost.
When
it
comes
to
films
based
on
real
incidents
and
history,
there
are
limitations
as
far
as
cinematic
liberties
are
concerned.
The
best
part
of
Mamangam's
screenplay
is
that
the
commercial
elements
are
well
within
those
expectations.
They
have
not
tried
to
take
things
overboard
for
the
sake
of
heroism
or
mass
moments.
They
don't
claim
it
to
be
accurate
(mentioned
in
the
disclaimer)
but
still,
the
movie
doesn't
wander
away
much
from
the
believability
aspect.
This
makes
Mamangam
special
and
unique
from
the
historical
movies
that
Indian
cinema
has
seen
in
recent
times.
The
script
also
conveys
the
history
behind
Mamangam
and
the
reason
for
the
rivalry
that
led
to
bloodshed
every
12
years.
In
such
tales,
the
emotional
factor
helps
in
building
the
intensity
and
Mamangam
follows
a
similar
suite.
Initially,
there
are
a
few
portions,
which
fail
to
hit
the
emotional
chord
despite
trying
much.
But
going
forward,
M
Padmakumar
has
pulled
the
film
on
to
the
right
track
and
thus,
building
the
right
intensity
for
the
climax.
The
director
has
handled
some
of
the
sequences
in
a
pretty
interesting
way.
Like
for
instance,
when
the
backstory
of
Chandroth
Valiya
Panicker's
wife
and
son
are
narrated,
they
are
merely
through
dialogues
but
still,
it
hits
hard.
At
the
same
time,
there
are
a
few
places
where
the
over-dependance
on
dialogues
backfire
as
it
fails
to
give
clarity
about
the
proceedings.
Mamangam
has
a
lot
of
surprises
in
store
as
far
as
the
narrative
is
concerned.
Some
of
the
surprises
may
not
be
in
line
with
the
humungous
expectations
that
mass
movie
lovers
may
have
placed
on
the
movie.
Nevertheless,
such
attempts
look
pretty
brave
and
refreshing
on
screen.
The
investigative
approach
that
the
movie
follows,
through
which
the
real
story
is
unearthed,
is
pretty
interesting.
The
build-up
given
to
the
protagonist's
entry
is
also
smashing
and
out-of-the-box.
Interestingly,
there
isn't
any
overburden
on
the
hero
of
becoming
a
complete
saviour
in
all
situations.
The
protagonist
has
his
limitations
with
his
own
set
of
conflicts.
Moreover,
Mamangam
also
keeps
us
guessing
how
the
climax
would
turn
out
to
be.
That
unpredictability
about
how
the
story
is
going
to
end
is
something
that
makes
the
film
special.
The
director
has
served
an
answer
to
the
curiosity
in
the
most
appropriate
way
and
thus
conveying
what
the
movie
has
to
tell.
The
message
that
Mamangam
gives
out
in
a
nutshell,
about
bloodshed
and
revenge,
is
also
one
among
the
major
takeaways.
Performances
Mammootty
is
just
splendid
as
Chandroth
Valiya
Panicker,
the
warrior
beyond
comparisons.
Once
again,
he
steals
the
show
in
a
historical
character,
giving
everything
that
is
required
for
perfection.
Watch
out
for
his
performance
as
the
character
with
a
feminine
touch,
he
does
it
excellently
without
going
overboard.
There
is
a
scene
in
the
film
where
he
narrates
the
tale
of
an
event
that
happened
during
their
sojourn
to
the
festival
and
the
sacrifices
of
their
men.
The
voice
modulation
is
splendid
and
the
metering
of
the
dialogues
is
matchless.
Unni
Mukundan
too
is
good
in
the
action
sequences
and
does
justice
to
his
role.
The
young
kid,
Achuthan
is
a
revelation
and
makes
a
huge
impact.
Siddique
impresses
as
the
villain.
Among
the
leading
ladies,
Prachi
Tehlan
is
convincing
in
her
role
and
the
dubbing
is
also
good.
Kaviyoor
Poonama
and
Valsala,
who
have
brief
on-screen
time,
put
their
experience
to
play
by
lifting
those
scenes
with
their
strong
performances.
Kaniha
somewhat
looks
like
a
misfit
with
the
dubbing
adding
to
the
woes.
Manikuttan
is
the
surprise
package
and
is
excellent
in
the
second
half.
Sudev
Nair
and
Suresh
Krishna's
roles
are
poorly
written.
Other
Aspects
M
Jayachandran's
songs
are
good
and
the
surprise
song
sung
by
KJ
Yesudas
is
the
best
among
the
lot.
BGM
works
are
solid
but
still,
some
of
the
scores
for
the
war
sequences
could
have
been
better.
Editing
is
pretty
good,
especially
in
the
parts
used
in
non-linear
narration.
But,
there
are
times
when
it
feels
like
a
few
shots
are
used
repeatedly.
The
action
sequences
are
good,
especially
the
stunts
at
the
beginning
as
well
as
the
pre-climax
and
climax.
Verdict
Mamangam
lives
up
to
the
hype
and
is
a
film,
which
throws
light
on
the
Mamangam
festival
and
the
story
of
an
epic
rivalry.
It
is
one
such
movie
that
wins
big
time
in
narrating
the
tale
to
the
audiences
in
a
convincing
way.