Allari Naresh, who is known for his comedy films in the Telugu film industry, is now leaning towards serious and rustic dramas after ‘Naandhi’. The latest film in this series is ‘Bachala Malli’. Directed by Subbu Mangadevi and produced by Rajesh Danda and Balaji Gutta under the Hasya Movies banner, the film was released in theaters on December 20, 2024. Along with Allari Naresh, actors like Amrutha Iyer, Rao Ramesh, Rohini, and Hari Teja played key roles. How much did this film impress the audience? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Let’s see in this review.
Storyline
The story of ‘Bachala Malli’ takes place in Suravaram village near Tuni in Andhra Pradesh from the 1980s to 2005. Malli (Allari Naresh) was a very intelligent student in his childhood. He makes his father Satyam (Balagam Jayaram) proud by securing the first rank in the district in the tenth standard. However, a wrong decision taken by his father—leaving his mother (Rohini) and living with another woman—deeply wounds Malli's heart. This incident transforms Malli into a young man full of rebellion, anger, and stupidity.
Malli, who is addicted to alcohol, sews gunny bags, and gets into fights, is confronted by Kaveri (Amrutha Iyer). With her love, Malli gives up his bad habits and takes steps towards change. But, his nature and conflicts with the past again get in the way. Will Malli save his love and life? What happened to his relationship with his father? The story revolves around these questions.
Analysis
‘Bachala Malli’ started out as a rustic drama with a good idea, but the flaws in the screenplay and direction did not fully reveal its potential. Director Subbu Mangadevi succeeded to some extent in showing the stupidity, anger, and self-destructive tendencies of Malli’s character, but failed to connect emotionally with the audience. The love story feels unnatural, and the father-son conflict feels incomplete.
Compared to films like ‘Rangasthalam’ directed by Sukumar, ‘Bachala Malli’ lacks depth in writing and gripping screenplay. However, Allari Naresh’s performance and some emotional scenes hold the film together to some extent. Some fans of X praised Naresh’s performance, the fair fight, and the last 20 minutes, but expressed disappointment over the screenplay and lack of emotional connect.
Acting and Performances
Allari Naresh once again impresses with his performance in this film. He completely immerses himself in the role of Malli, who is rustic, angry, and stupid. Naresh has shown his acting prowess especially in the pre-climax and climax scenes. There is no doubt that this role will be a milestone in his career.
Amrutha Iyer impresses with her natural acting as Kaveri, but her character lacks proper depth and her costumes do not suit the rural setting of the 1990s. Supporting actors like Rao Ramesh, Rohini, Hari Teja, Praveen, Achyut Kumar do justice to their roles, but their roles feel underdeveloped.
Technical aspects
Vishal Chandrasekhar's music is a major attraction of the film. The background score emotionally embellishes the key scenes, but the songs are not very impressive. The song 'Mari Anta Nrikhi' is memorable in terms of lyrics and music. Richard M. Nathan's cinematography captures the rural setting wonderfully, beautifully unveiling the beauty of the surroundings. However, the editing by Chota K. Prasad feels a bit dull in the second half.
Strengths
Allari Naresh's acting: Naresh shows off his acting skills in the role of Malli.
Cinematography: Richard M. Nathan beautifully captures the rural setting.
Background Score: Vishal Chandrasekhar's music elevates some scenes.
Weaknesses
Weak screenplay: The story lacks depth and emotional connect.
Dull second half: The scenes in the second half feel dragged, and the predictable narrative loses interest.
Underdeveloped characters: Kaveri, the father, and other supporting characters lack proper depth.
Outdated narration: Some scenes are reminiscent of old Telugu films, which may not appeal to modern audiences.
Conclusin
‘Bachala Malli’ is a simple rustic drama with Allari Naresh’s performance as the star. The film would have been even better if it had a strong screenplay, deep character portrayal, and gripping narration. For Allari Naresh fans and those who like serious dramas, this film is worth a watch, but it didn’t impress as much as expected.
Rating: 2.25/5