MLA stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Kajal Aggarwal, Brahmanandam, Manali Rathod and Vennela Kishore.
MLA movie cast: Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Kajal Aggarwal, Brahmanandam, Manali Rathod, Vennela Kishore
MLA movie director: Upendra Madhav
MLA movie rating: 1 star
This is a film which begins with high-ranking police officials standing up in attention and saluting Nandamuri Kalyan Ram just because he introduced himself as MLA, a short form for Manchi Lakshanalunna Abbai (A boy with good qualities). It lets the hero make what are supposed to be the most intelligent and powerful minds of the society look ridiculous for his self-promotion. The film also briefly turns into an ad film for a sport-bike. MLA hardly offers anything worthwhile to its audience.
After a hurried opening that gives a brief introduction of its ill-conceived subplot, Gadappa shoots a reporter in the head not before his victim completes his punch-line. A cue for hero’s entry. That goes something like this: someday, someone will come and end your evil reign. BLAM!. Cut to the next scene, we have the hero saying ‘I’m on my way,’ while accelerating his way to a wedding where he is about to rescue a man, who is being forced into a marriage by his family.
MLA arrives and makes a fool out of everyone at the wedding and zips away with the groom, played by Vennela Kishore. He takes the groom to temple and gets him married to his own sister as they both love each other. MLA’s parents are upset and send all three out of the house. They come to Bengaluru, where the hero meets the heroine, Indu (Kajal Aggarwal). The hero follows the heroine and makes her fall for him. And there is a twist. The heroine is not powerful as she looks. She is living in fear and has her future at stake. MLA becomes Indu’s knight in shining armor. When all a reviewer can write is only an approximation of the film’s story, it usually means there is nothing else to write about.
In addition to the director Upendra Madhav’s outdated approach to making hero-worshiping films, the casting beats everything else to become a big turn off factor in the film. Especially, Ravi Kishan’s lip sync as Gadappa, the main antagonist, makes the stay of the audience in the cinema more difficult than it already is. It’s time for Ravi Kishan to put in some effort in his work in Telugu cinema.
What makes us cringe more about the film is Posani Krishna Murali’s character of a lustful boss, who exploits every woman in his office. And Upendra has used his character for comic relief. What’s so funny about a boss sexually exploiting his employees? No, the hero doesn’t do anything to stop sexual harassment at the workplace. Instead, he ingratiates himself with his sinister boss to keep his job.
It’s a forgettable film.