Mangalavaaram

Ajay Bhupathi, who directed RX 100, has now moved on to directing Mangalavaaram (2023), a thrilling piece in the Telugu language that can best be described as a psychological thriller. Mangalavaaram tracks the events of a horror-struck village known as Mahalakshmipuram that is set in circa 1995.

🌟 Plot Summary:

Every Tuesday since 1996, unexplained deaths have started occurring in the previously calm village, Mahalakshmipuram. As people started dying, peculiar graffiti started appearing across the village, anticipating the deaths of the victims through the affairs they had previously committed. As a sub-inspector’s innovative technology starts spreading panic across the village, Maaya (Nandita Swetha) is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. She follows multiple leads, one of them being RMP Viswanatham (Ravindra Vijay) who is a gentle local doctor that hides a dark secret. Sailaja, also known as Shailu (Payal Rajput), the main focus of the enigma, is a woman suffering from a very uncommon hormonal condition that renders her both a victim and of the villagers delusional. As Maaya digs deeper into her investigation, she nds a dark secret that the village attempts to keep concealed at all costs.

🎬 Cast Highlights:

The character of Sailaja “Shailu” is played by Payal Rajput and can best be described as a demonically possessed sceptic.

Nandita Swetha as SI Maaya – A police officer determined to challenge superstitions and delve into the concealed truths within them.

Ravindra Vijay as RMP Viswanatham – A kind-hearted physician who seems to have an uncanny association with the events that are taking place.

Chaitanya Krishna as Zamindar Prakasam Babu – The village’s landholder who is caught up in the complex network of puzzles.

Divya Pillai as Rajeswari Devi – The wife of Prakasam Babu is Rajeswari Devi, who has her own share of secrets to the village which adds another dimension to its enigma.

These Secrets and Mysteries Connected 🎥 Why It Stands Out:

“Mangalavaaram” fuses suspense, horror, and drama so extraordinarily well that the villagers’ enigmatic world becomes palpitating and a brimming with intense focus. Directed by Ajay Bhupathi and scores composed by B. Ajaneesh Loknath blend perfectly to grab the attention of the audience. The way the film touches upon human yearning, societal dysfunctionalities, and the emergence of repressed feelings is a powerful statement about ethics and scrutiny. The entire cast gave excellent performances but, above all, Payal Rajput was exceptional as Shailu; fierce, yet shattering.