Thursday, January 25, 2007

Mungaaru Male - Freshness Galore

Often some love story based movies are branded as "Old Wine in New Bottle" and most of the times they are discarded as duds. But here is a movie which tells about love and sacrifice(same old stuff !! ) but with a breath-taking effect. Its got all the elements a family entertainer should have - romance, songs, sentiments..... (the list never ends probably for me).

As I told, its about love and sacrifice. "Preeti Madhura Tyaga Amara"(Love is pleasant but sacrifice is eternal). All through the movie we see nothing but love and only at the end we see sacrifice and that too for a truly valid reason.

The story is very simple. Preetam (Ganesh) is a easy going guy who happens to get his eyes on Nandini(Sanjana Gandhi) in a mall and falls in love with her at the first sight. Why only in love, he falls into a manhole also :) Being a careless son of a rich father(Jaijagadish), he is very much attached to his mother(Sudha Belavadi).

Preetam and his mother set off to Madikeri to visit her mother's friend(Padmaja Rao) and her ex-military man Major Subbaiah(Anantnag). On the way he tells his mother about that girl and his love towards her despite not meeting her. After reaching their destination he finds out that Nandini is his mother's friend's daughter and is heartbroken after getting to know that they are there to attend her wedding seven days from then. Nandini is getting married to a guy who saved her father's life in the battlefield. So they are very excited to get her married to him. After knowing this, Preetam wishes to leave the place suppressing his
feelings but Nandini provokes him and he comes back to woo her and get married to her even at the cost of running away from home with her. And this he does with style. He makes his way into her heart with his love and care towards her. She too reciprocates and they decide to marry each other. At this stage, the story takes a turn wherein some beans are spilt and Preetam will have to sacrifice his love. What we see next is his mental turmoil and pain in facing this and getting over. Will he sacrifice? Or will their romance become eternal? Catch the movie if you want to know !!!


The real hero of the movie is the "mungaaru male"(monsoon rain) wherein all major events and twists take place. Preetam seeing Nandini for the first time at a mall, next on his way to Madikeri, he confessing his love towards her, he breaking down at his helplessness about not being able to get her, Nandini expressing his love towards him, Preetam breaking her heart to get away from her and finally he himself breaking
down after she gets married... all these major events happen in the rain. Most of these are natural and very less artificial. Thats what is good about the movie. Everything is natural. Maybe its used as a symbol to give a feeling that rain brings in new life, clears the mind and cleans up the heart.


Next comes in the hero Ganesh who has done a tremendous job in expressing all kinds of emotions with great sincierity. For almost 12 reels he makes us laugh and finally he makes us feel so sad for him. With a powerful author backed role he emotes well to show both his mirth and pain. [I was initially reluctant to watch this movie because of his comedy time show but now I am damn sure that this guy would give other heroes
here a tough competition with his powerful acting skills and perfect timing sense for delivering the dialogues. All the best Ganesh!]


Cameraman Krishna does a great job in getting some breath taking views of Jog Falls from different angles. The best shotsa re the ones in which Preetam and Nandini are at the tip of the Jog Falls where she confesses her love towards him and the scene is shot with superb details of the falls with the camera being at almost right above their head. Mostly this is the only film wherein Jog has looked so beautiful. [Wish I could have got more details on how these scenes were shot. Got info that cranes for the cameras were specially got from Mumbai... dont know if thats true] Also
beautifully captured are the estates of Sakleshpur and views of Madikeri. All these scenic beauty captured in rain adds on the feel of the movie that is 'freshness'.


The dialogue writer and director Yograj Bhatt deserves a huge round of applause for handling the old story in a different way and presenting it with a fresh look. That is what is expected from any director. Creativity rules and wins and Yograj has proved that. The dialogues are very catchy and hit the right cord at the right time. They are very funny at times presented with the right punch by Ganesh and at other times its really touching. There are two scenes where the dilogues, director, actor and cameraman deliver their best together. First one is when Preetam is drunk and confesses his love towards Nandini and breaks down saying he just cant forget her and will keep on loving her despite her marriage to someone else. The next one is where Preetam is leaving Nandini's house just before her wedding where he talks about his state of mind and his love to his pet-a rabbit which he names as Devadas(symbolizing sacrifice). These are the two scenes which made a huge impact on me and these two scenes showed the real results of good team work.


Mungaru Male review would not be complete without mention of the music by Mano Murthy who captures the rainy feeling in the music with ultimate grace. The title song sung by Sonu Nigam penned by Yograj Bhatt himself is really great. Next comes the Kunidu Kunidu Baare sung by Udit Narayan, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Stephen. Anisuthide sung by Sonu Nigam and Araluthiru sung by Shreya Ghoshal are like love poems suiting the characters and fitting in at the right time in the movie. These three are penned by the well known writer Jayant Kaykini who has given poetic justice to these three songs. Onde Ondu Sari is a good fast paced number sung by Kunal Ganjawala and Priya Himesh. Suvvi Suvvali is just ok not that catchy like others. For the last two songs mentioned, lyrics are by Shiva. Mano Murthy puts his full efforts into making these songs memorable and hummbable for a long time to go.

Other performances which are good are by AnantNag, Padmaja Rao and SudhaBelavadi. Sanjana is good in her scenes and looks but is completely overshadowed by Ganesh! Some other parallel tracks in the movie which are worth mentioning are about the rabbit Devadas and about the Gautam(Digant) who is the groom in waiting to marry Nandini.

Finally, we come out of the theatre with fresh thoughts about love and sacrifice from the point of view of a normal lover and Preetam. We also remember the breathtaking visuals of Jog, Madikeri, Sakleshpura and each of these in mungaru male.... with all the freshness needed. Thats why I called it "Mungaaru Male - Freshness Galore"

7 comments:

Unknown said...

An excellent movie came in kannada industry intime where the entire south india is talking about.
the great work done by the director Yograj Bhat and the excellent thoughts of the producer Krishnappa and actors. Jog scenes can never be forgetton.....

Unknown said...

An excellent movie came in kannada industry intime where the entire south india is talking about.
the great work done by the director Yograj Bhat and the excellent thoughts of the producer Krishnappa and actors. Jog scenes can never be forgetton.....

Harish said...

Saw the movie only yesterday. After a long time, we got to see a beautiful and original Kannada film. Hats off to the team of 'Mungaaru MaLe'.

Harish said...

Wonderful movie with catchy lyrics,sung wonderfully by all the singers ,cathy tunes and superb locations especially picturisation of Jog falls. Hats off to Yogaraj Bhatand team.Excellent Camerawork and deserves to get a national award for wonderful picturisation of rain.What else? No words to narrate about the movie. Hats off againto the entire team.

Do not miss to see this movie.

Harish Konakondla

BK Ashok said...

Music and lyrics are good. Phtography is good as well. Ganesh needs an applaude. Alogn with it the director, the lyrics and diaglouges as well. No doubt a good enough movie which does not throw you out of you seat but makes you watch.

But on a more serious note. What about the foundation of the film: The story?

What message the movie projects? A PU student with telephone digit marks in the subjects? His parents not worred about it and makes jokes on him? Cant get how the Heros mother is more concerned in knowing about the girl he met. If I was the parent of a PU student, I would be more concerened on his studies.

Not all scenes are watchable. Not sure if there was any hilarious scense in the hero falling to gutter and then he creating a scene where even police comes in.

And now to the love. If I am the heroine, and if I am getting married in a week, I would not have bothered play around with anyone. OK, let us say I did. I would be more causious, especially in a Indian family env?

How can the parents of the bride leave her alone to play and wander with an young guy when the marrage is few days away? How cannot be so studpid to undersatnd it is dangerous to put "fire and butter"
near? ANd How can they act ignorant?

If we start questioning, may be there is a big list to go on. But the point is the story, althoug it appears apepaling, is not practical nor sensible.

Most people are impressed by the scenes of the drunk-hero murmerging and the one he does withe the rabbit. I dont understand what is special about it?

Saying it a good movie based on technicalities, Or comparing to other movies in kannada is a diffrent aspect. I can agree with that point.

But are we at a point to accept, same-thing slighly better, but very very average just based on comparision? Look at the history of our movies? We have excellent moveies with no technical values at all.

A good movie is one which is intelletually stimulating and makes you think about the movie content for year later. MM is good enough for Music, good photography and some good lyrics.

I dont think I will rememeber this move for its story. It does not send any stong social messages as usaually good movies do.

Chets said...

The Bangalore reviewer needs a shot of 'reality' medicine..

If he is seeing a movie to learn ethics..

God save him..

Just enjoy the movie with a light hearted sense of mind...

Do not be ever so serious in life... that too while watching a movie.. You are missing a whole point of watching a movie then....

I guess you must be a frustrated soul.. and with your high sounding logic, if you still have not learnt about life .. then let your logic tell you that life is so complex to be learnt by seeing a movie...

Chill out Man.. Just chill out.. enjoy the special moments of light hearted laugh to start learning about life..

God save you Bangalore guy...

Unknown said...

Marvellous... An Excellent movie in the entire Kannada Industry came out at right time,Thank u very much Yogaraj Sir & Krishnappa 4 presenting this movie, I can't xpress myself about this movie even am searching 4 wrds 2 say about.