Mayabasaar movie review

sanju · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:02 pm Post subject: Mayabasaar movie review

By Moviebuzz

Debutant director Thomas Sebastian's Mayabazaar is perhaps aimed at the hardcore fans of Mammootty. The hero maintains his drop dead good looks intact, takes on the baddies as easily as chewing a gum, mouths incisive punchlines and even tries some nice dance movements. Fair enough, but the problem with the film is that apart from trying to pepper it with masala, the film is a mangled mess.
Mayabazaar is the name of a street where spare parts of condemned vehicles are being sold. Rameshan (Mammootty) is a highly virtuous soul who lives there and is a local do-gooder. He is also a good samaritan who carries lunch packets to the ailing patients in the nearby hospital. There is a rival gang in action led by Bhadran (Kalabhavan Mani), who are into some shady deals.

The entire first half has Rameshan and Bhadran taking on each other during regular intervals, mainly over a pretty girl Maya (Tamil actor Sheela who will now be known as Maya in Malayalam). Bhadran is desperate to get her, but she is completely smitten by Rameshan's charms. Several trifle incidents later, as the film move towards intermission, there is a surprise in store.

From then on the story takes an abrupt turn towards a different direction, but ends up nowhere, just like it did after some developments in the first half. That is the basic plot which seems to move ahead after some twists in between, but fail to reach anywhere.

Once again Mammootty has been let down by T.A Razak, the scriptwriter. The film falters big time due to the amateurish script, mediocre compositions and unimaginative direction.

Manoj Pillai's cinematography stands out in this otherwise insipid affair. Every dialogue and event in the story is aimed at glorifying the hero. The comic scenes between Mammootty and Rajan P Dev reminds of Thommanum Makkalum and those involving Suraj Venjarammoodu, Salim Kumar and Bijukkuttan are trite and often boring.

Mammootty, who has portrayed some of the best roles in Malayalam, has clearly played to the gallery and it looks like it is strictly for his die-hard fans. Maya, who plays the heroine, has nothing much to do and whenever she gets a chance to emote, she hams. Why did Tisca Chopra decide to do such an inconsequential role in the film, after her stunning performance as Darsheel Safary's mom in Taare Zameen Par?

If your concept of entertainment is some mindless fun on screen that defies logic, but with action and emotions in required doses, Mayabazaar may be a watchable in parts. For all others who don't cater to that segment, DVDs of some old gems from Mammootty could be a better option.

Verdict: Disappointing

sanju · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject:

lucky A class theatre owners, god saved them.. Applause

Rajappan · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:32 am Post subject:

Bakki reviews koode varatte. A centrekarude advance enthayalum poyi. Now they lost the initials too. d'oh!

sanju · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

review varan onnum illa,aakri thanne... saw the film yeasterday... Very Happy

.

Rajappan · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:02 am Post subject:

‘Mayabazaar’ should have taken us for a special experience with its interesting story line. A film with a vignette on lives of scrap dealers unfortunately end up as a scrap though backed by a glamorous Mammootty who portrays his role with elan. The man to be deplored is sadly one of the most experienced script writers of our times, T.A. Razzak. His recent films like ‘Parunthu’, ‘Aakasham’ and now ‘Maya Bazaar’, are all showing similar problems in their narrative structure - films that refuses to move beyond their outset frames. Whence, this script from one of the best dialogue writers of the present times showcases more of an analphabet in him rather than any persuasive digressions for a downy show.

With such a harum-scarum scripts, ‘Mayabazaar’ is a flat out average movie making, from the first-time director Thomas Sebastian. He seems to be passive at the helm, letting his erratic actors run rampant with the thin script materials, in order to pad this pallid plot to a torrid 2 hour mark. In this tedious attempt, the movie offers a few twists that won't graduate to culminate for a handsome reward.

Thomas Sebastian's ‘Mayabazaar’ is perhaps aimed at the hardcore fans of Mammootty. But with a very lackadaisical approach to the narrations, and padding scenes out with excess heroics, the movie appears stretched out as a long film by any means. The enterprising basic story from Govind - Ramdas should have been a smart and witty comedy thriller, but wanes in plodding plot development and shallow, stereotypical characterizations.

The movie is set at ‘Mayabazaar', a market at mayanoor where scrap or parts of worn out vehicles are sold. Mammootty dons the role of Rameshan, a leading man of the bazaar and local do-gooder who buys old vehicles, dismantles them and sells the parts. Rameshan is the son of Akri Damodharan (Rajan P Dev) who migrated to Mayabazaar from Cherpulassery. Akri Damadharan is a typical character who occasionally steals money from his son and sets on for pilgrimages.

Rameshan, who values living for the downtrodden, is also the main organizer of lunch packets to the ailing patients of the nearby hospital. A lovable and fearless guy, he often has to deal with a rival gang lead by Bhadran (Kalabhavan Mani) who causes him problems, all based on his relation with Maya, who is madly after him.

The entire first half showcases the verbal and physical fights between Rameshan and Bhadran at regular intervals. Apart from the impressive titling and the surprise interval punch, there is nothing engaging in the former half. And in the later half, it is a different story altogether.

Only the quality of the actors manages to give the necessary spark to the screenplay imploding from a lack of intensity and interesting plot points. Mammootty maintains his masculine charm all through the movie, though with no exceptional execution. Sheela, rechristened as Maya in Mollywood shows her finesse in acting, in the few scenes that she have. Rajan P Dev, Sasikumar and Lalu Alex are in their very usual roles while the comedy trio of Suraj, Salim Kumar and Biju Kuttan fails to liven up, any of the scenes in the first half, that banks heavily on their one liners. In fact, this is one of the rarest occurrences in recent times where Suraj’s character is a total letdown, without being able to add any interest to the proceedings.

The debutant director, have showcased sparkles of his experience and brilliance in the second half and, in the racy flashbacks. The technical side of the movie is mentionable. Manoj Pillai's cinematography and Prasanth Madhav's art direction are the finest points of the movie which makes it a glossy, watchable affair.

Bijith Bala also support the director with fairly done cuts and visual effects and safely editing out the Mammootty ''dances ‘‘.

If you're a fan of Mammootty, perhaps you might like seeing him deliver this average movie, and watch it at least once. But it's quite a sacrifice if you are not. Because, no amount of high-energy antics can cover up the fact that the movie doesn't offer any measurable appeal to anyone.

Bhuhaha · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 4:57 am Post subject:

Mammootty um Mohanlal um okke ini enna oru nalla padam cheyyunnathu... Ippo orumathiri nalla padam cheyyunnathu Prithviraj mathrama

Rajappan · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:44 am Post subject:

Oru mathiri dileep onnum cheyathath entha? Razz

Bhuhaha · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:58 am Post subject:

Dileep nte padam njannallo sign cheyyunnathu Athukondu enikkariyilla

Rajappan · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

Njan karuhi ni dileepinte manager anenn. Razz

Mammottyem mohanlalinem parnajitt dileepine onnum paranju kandillallo. d'oh!

Anukutti · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:19 am Post subject:

engane athu parayum buhahah alle???