Shivamani Review

It was the BIG day. The day when the real Shivamani reel would be played at the theatre, not just a dinky promo. The guy at the theater had already told me about it a week ago. But just to be on the safe side, I checked with him on Saturday, then on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, twice on Wednesday and three times yesterday. I don't understand how the guy stays in business with the filthy things he calls his customers.

Anyway, that did not bother me nor did standing in the line for 12 hours. The rain made me smell funny, but the intensity of the situation was overwhelming. This is the Nag movie that would complete the trilogy of the ultra posh and smartly urbane super-hit flicks - Santhosham, Manmadhudu and now, Shivamani. I can hardly wait...

Sonali Bendre is swaying with Nag. Sonali Bendre is running around the trees. Sonali Bendre is pinching the buttocks of a member of the Royal Family. Huh? Snap back to reality, up there goes gravity, up there goes gravity... SNAP! Oh, I must have dozed off - but looks like I haven't missed much. Nag is embracing Asin on the screen and the hall is already half empty.

The climax was not all that hot, I suppose. Having waited for months for the movie to come out, it must be admitted that this came across as a disappointment for most of the people. But disappointment was not the nearest word on my mind - suicide, perhaps. From 'I can hardly wait' to 'suicide perhaps', the transformation was caused by a lot of happenings. Most of them are from the movie.

Shivamani is our no-bull@#%$ police officer, keeping an eagle eye over his beat. He floods all the hidden rats out of their holes and swats them mercilessly. One of the bigger mice in the area is Prakash Raj who initially throws his weight around but eventually is driven out of the city by Shivamani. Asin and Shivamani have a perfect romance, but Prakash Raj breaks up their party, taking away Asin with him. After a brief hunt, Nag and Asin reunite.

This is the actual story extended to me by the filmmakers. Filmmakers are of the firm opinion that their rights to make films will be confiscated and they will have to serve a sentence with a 10-foot mutated gorilla for a cellmate (which in my opinion must be mandatory for filmmakers) if they made a movie that has a completely new story. At this end, they tried to wrap this stale story in a new cover.

Rakshita is the editor of a Telugu daily who chances upon a bottle with a message inside, jogging along the shore. The bottle has no SOS but a love note, asking a certain 'Mani' to meet her at their usual rendezvous spot. The message is dated back as being 2 years old, and as being from Kerala.

Rakshita starts a column (on the front page, lead story) about the separated lovers and travels to Kerala to follow up on the column. There she meets Nag and then the whole story is dwindled out.

I don't know if this sidetrack makes the movie better or worse. It's like wrapping spilt beer in rotten eggshells. It definitely makes it a lot messier. There are way too many factual blunders along with the plebeian editing, screenplay and direction.

Looks-wise, Nag still remains the reason that the Telugu industry can continue to remain arrogant. Asin does really well to tickle us throughout. Especially in the scene when she tries to talk with Nag after losing her voice. She's a good find, if you're looking for comical relief through emotional scenes. Though Rakshita plays second fiddle, she absolutely sizzles.

Prakash Raj and Nag might've done some damage control. But overall, Puri has paid too much attention to untimely gimmicks and tried to cram in everything possible into Shivamani. He's even tried putting a mobile number in the title of the film. Numerology? Maybe. Astrology? Possibly. Mycology? Definitely!

Mycology = study of fungi.