Movie : Maharaja Talkies
Director : Devidasan
Music : Tej Mervin
Cast : Urvashi, Mukesh
There were reports sometime back that quite a few films were being made in Malayalam with themes based on the plight of the old B and C class theatres, which are now on the verge of closing down. Director Devidasan’s Maharaja Talkies has Vimala (Urvashi) running an old theatre, with the help of her three younger sisters.
The problems that she faces in the process are what scenarist Saji Damodar and the director narrates here, in quite an amateurish way. Though the basic premise looks pretty fine, the story meanders along without any definite direction most of the time.
A rich man Moorkhanparambil Pappachan (Vijayaraghavan) tries every trick to pressurize the four sisters to close down the theatre. He has plans to build a bigger, well equipped theatre there. He uses some petty ways to get rid of the existing theatre.
This dreary misadventure story moves ahead with silly issues and there is everything needed for a masala entertainer, ranging from comedy to fights, romance, sentiments and even some show of flesh in the guise of a dance sequence. But sadly, all these scenes fail to make this film a worthy watch.
Urvashi performs her character the same way that she did Achuvinte Amma and Mummy & Me. But it is a role that lacks depth and she can’t do much about it as well. Mukesh is there in a brief role as the Panchayat secretary and her ex-flame. The rest of the cast includes Vijayaraghavan, Babu Namboodiri, Harisree Asokan, Jaffer Idukki and Sukumari among others.
It is quite curious how the scenarist and the director convinced the producer and the actors of Maharaja Talkies to being part of the film in the first place. No point in mincing words here, this is a boring film which looks thoroughly jaded and painfully melodramatic.