A semi-porn film's success seems to be function of the leading woman's capacity
to occupy the entire 70mm screen with her weighted presence. Sleaze lovers in
India have always been panting after women of 'substance'. So here again is Shakila,
a 'heavyweight' in these kinds of films, with her third release in as many weeks
as her fans just don't seem to have enough of her. And though she herself looks
jaded, Maami will not leave them disappointed.
Maami is a tactfully made film and serves the purpose it is made for. Tactfully
made because it relegates all the seeming amoralities and adulteries of the lead
characters to just the fantasies of the rest of the characters around them.
Hence, it can proudly boast of being message-driven at least as far as the script
goes; the message, in this case, being not to suspect one's wife of any misdemeanor
based on an outsider's opinion.
A young Ramu steps into his old uncle Seshadri's house with the aim of learning
a computer course in his town. Seshadri has a young wife Seeta (Shakila). He also
has a pampered brat of a son from his first marriage, Srikanth, who keeps on screaming
at his father for having married a bitch.
A childless Seeta develops motherly affection for Ramu and treats him like her
son (which she keeps on harping throughout the film). The rest of the characters,
including Seshadri, misunderstand this relationship, and each in turn fantasizes
about the two snuggling each other at every possible place. These fantasies meanwhile
help the producer of this film cash in some moolah. The otherwise kitsch movie
ends on an utterly abrupt note with Seshadri killing a finally pregnant Shakila
and committing suicide after he realizes the truth.
Shakila carries this film single-handedly on her rather broad shoulders with her
tantalizing overtures and bedroom antics. And I shudder to think for what other
reason you would go to watch this film.