MEEKU MAATHRAME CHEPTHA MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

The plot of debutant director Shameer Sultan's Meeku Maathrame Cheptha (MMC) is completely in contrast to what the title suggests. A lighter take on the lack of digital privacy, this comedy entertainer stars Tharun Bhascker Dhassyam and Vani Bhojan as leads. MMC is produced by actor Vijay Deverakonda under the banner King of the Hill Entertainment.

MMC revolves around a VJ and former aspiring actor Rakesh (Tharun Bhascker Dhassyam), the not-so-pious fiancé of Steffy (Vani Bhojan) a doctor. Rakesh is the kind of guy who tells white lies to Steffy without batting an eyelid. But what happens when Rakesh's private video with another person gets leaked on the internet, just days before his wedding.

The narrative unfolds as a whole flashback by his friend Kamu (an in-form Abhinav Gomatam), who sidekicks Rakesh throughout their madcap journey. The initial moments are just a bunch of bland meet-cute moments between Rakesh and Steffy. But the narrative gathers steam as soon as the comedy of errors unfolds. The chase leads to some quirky situations.

Though the screenplay lacks the required urgency, the oddball characters and Abhinav Gomatam's witty one-liners make up for the dull moments. There are some neatly placed visual flourishes (the race against time is indicated by the number of views garnered by the video). The first half has enough humour that makes the audience overlook the predictability.

The second half veers away from a romantic zone, with gangsters and blackmailers thrown into the mix. Though the pace slackens a bit at the start of the second half, the situations entertain. The climactic portion that is set in the reception hall is one of the film's most highlight moments as we see these quirky characters share the dais with Rakesh and an unassuming Steffy.

Though the final twist is only mildly surprising, you never care about its lack of effectiveness as long as it makes you smile. Tharun Bhascker Dhassyam is good as the confusing youngster while Vani Bhojan played well, though her character is one-dimensional. Mathan Gunadeva's cinematography and Sivakumar's music upholds the lighter tone of the film. Overall Meeku Maathrame Cheptha is a frothy, highly watchable comedy of errors.