There are lot of situations a woman goes through in her life which are not comfortable. The society might view it as a minor problem but for the woman it could turn out to be a claustrophobic existence. Debutant Director Rama Raju shows how an ordinary middle class girl when married to a boy of her parents’ choice walks out of the house due to incompatibility. A one-line story has been expanded to a two-hour beautiful film wherein three characters, the husband, wife and her lover come out with their characters and evoke extreme feelings. There is no high melodrama, no shedding of tears or climactic outbursts, the trio appear reasonable in their arguments and perception. The director succeeds in showing a woman craving for dignity, love and liberation.
While the father says that as parents they are totally different people but have lived their life with adjustments and compromises, he does not feel his daughter has to follow his path for that reason. The director seems to present his point of view that love can bloom anytime, even after marriage; he ultimately drives home the point that if a woman is neglected, not loved or treated as an equal, she drifts and finds solace and love elsewhere. The character Lakshmi stands out predominantly because of the lack of hypocrisy; she doesn’t shy away from demonstrating her feelings, she gifts flowers to the man who she takes a liking to, is very vocal and also makes the first move.
Rama Raju, while showing assertiveness in the female character, brings out sensitivity in the hero who plays a lyricist. He loves flowers and she likes to light lamps. He writes and she sings. Together they love and believe in freedom. After watching the film, one realises how wrong it is to say that one thinks like a woman, likes certain things like a woman because the soul is the same for both the sexes. The story in a nut shell is about Lakshmi not averse to an alliance because the groom is good looking and has a job. Once married, she realises that their views and objectives are different, his goal is to make money and he expects his wife not to disturb or question him, whereas she finds happiness in simple things. By the time the husband reaches his goal, the wife has slipped out of his hands yet he doesn’t regret because she was never his priority and he married her only because their horoscopes matched and he was told that the marriage would help him recover his lost glory.
This is Sri Divya’s second film, her first being Manasara. She looks very charming; the cotton saris bring out the grace in her. Debutant Kranthi fits into his role with ease and has nice sharp features. George looks too refined to be an insensitive husband. Rao Ramesh plays the doting father. The dialogues are the biggest asset, written by the director himself, they are warm and filled with depth, even a feeling of disgust is treated with respect. Songs are pleasant, editing is perfect and cinematography elevates the film. Mallela Theeram Lo Sirimalle Puvvu is a beautiful title for the film that is as fresh and fragrant as jasmines.
MALLELA THEERAM LO SIRIMALLE PUVVU
Cast: Kranti, Sri Divya
Director: Rama Raju. G.V
Music: Pawan Kumar
Plot: A silent yet a determined housewife finds love elsewhere
Genre: Love
Bottomline: The director’s beautiful insight into a woman’s psyche
