The story of Mana Oori Ramayanam unfolds during Ram Navami representing how every person during the festival aspires to be Rama, despite all of us having a Ravana in us. Bujangaiah quite literally gets a change of perspective from the locked room, which opens finally only to let out a changed man.
All metaphors aside, the movie is a simple story of human nature that plays out as the consequence of a drunken adventure. The realistic and believable characters in the movie are a breath of fresh air from the larger than life roles we see in a mainstream Tollywood potboiler. Bujangaiah, the hypocritical man of the conventional rural family, a prostitute for whom money is the biggest priority, an autodriver who wants to turn around his destiny and a movie maker who’s trying to catch hold of a hero for his next script – the four main characters of the movie act and react how you would expect a person in that situation would. For once, the story doesn’t run the characters; it’s the other way round. How the paths of these characters are intertwined is engaging.
Prakash Raj called this directorial venture of his, a “comedy-thriller”. And instead of just throwing together the two genres, the screenplay transitions from comedy to thriller seamlessly. Bujangaiah’s situation which was funny just minutes earlier turns tense before you know it. The movie manages to keep you glued to the seat through the journey of self-discovery of the protagonist.
Prakash Raj as usual was a treat to watch as he brought Bujangaiah to life. Priyamani meanwhile pulled off the role of Susheela effortlessly. Satya Dev’s performance was quite notable and that’s a feat considering he was sharing screenspace with National Award winners.
( 3.5 / 5 )