'Mangalavaaram', starring Payal Rajput and others, is directed by Ajay Bhupathi. Produced by Mudhra Media Works and A Creative Works, the film will stream on Disney Plus Hotstar from December 26.
In our review, we described the film as an imperfect whodunit. However, we appreciated the twists in the second half, saying that they held the audience's interest.
The story of the film is set in a Konaseema village where a series of dual murders subject the common man to extreme fear. SI Maya (Nandita Swetha) is in the town to investigate the murders, while the Zamindar (Chaitanya Krishna) prevents her from getting post-mortems done. Just as the needle of suspicion points in all directions, Shailu (Payal Rajput) is introduced as a woman with a dark past. Is she the one who is behind the mysterious killings? What is her motive? Answers to these questions are found in the second half.
Payal's character is introduced at the interval. The narrative structure of the film and some screenplay choices are fairly interesting. Despite so much publicity, though, 'Mangalavaaram' failed to become a major hit.
