We are told that there was a man by the name of MLA Mani, who was called that way though he wasn't a member of the legislative assembly. The reason is that when, as a boy, he was asked by a teacher, as to what he wanted to become in life, the boy had replied 'MLA' and the title had stuck ever since!
That is the basic premise of Kalabhavan Mani's new film 'MLA Mani 10-aam Classum Gusthiyum' which offers a message that to be a public leader, its not the education that counts, but a golden heart that is willing to go out of its way to serve the commoner's needs.
This film is so Mani-yish that you actually wonder if you have gone back a few years again when you saw films like 'Ben Johnson' that had the actor takes up arms against injustice; a time when Mani films used to rule the roost, with their dhamakedaar dialogues, high voltage action sequences and of course the mandatory Mani song.
Mani is very much the wronged man in this film as well, and is sent to jail for eight years for a crime that he did not commit. On his return, his only sister (Vidya) commits suicide when raped by a corrupt politician Varkey (Vijayaraghavan). Mani, who was all set to turn over a new leaf, has no other option but to wreak vengeance Varkey.
Its not just Mani, but there are others leading a war against Varkey as well. There is a cop named Benjamin (Siddique) who had lost his family and an MLA Lekshmi Priya (Lena) who had seen her lover being butchered to death before her own eyes! Mani and his team soon get down to the task of bringing Varkey to book, and Mani even gets to become a real life MLA!
Yawn! So is there anything at all in this film that you haven't seen in a Mani film before? The answer is 'No'. And the customary features in every Mani film are here as well. Nothing has changed for this film; neither the times, nor the techniques of film making. It's all the same as it has been a good ten years back.
Unfortunately does all this sell in 2012? I have a grave doubt that even hardcore Mani fans would want to see Mani in an avatar that they have seen him in, for a million times. He however does a good job, as always, in a role that demands him to be just himself.
There is no point in commenting on the script, especially because all these points have already been scored on similar Mani films that had arrived a while back. All I would say is, I wish I could see this actor in a different role. And I feel he does owe to it his fan base that still arrives at the theatres to watch his films in all earnestness.