Maa Inti Bangaaram
Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Gulshan Devaiah, Gautami, Sreemukhi, Diganth
Director: Nandini Reddy
Rating: ★★★.5
The last time Nandini Reddy and Samantha Ruth Prabhu came together for a film was Oh! Baby in 2019, the duo hit it out of the park. This time around, they have something more action-packed, with help from Raj Nidimoru, who puts his expertise from The Family Man and Citadel: Honey Bunny to pen a story that flips the script. What happens when a Samantha, instead of a Rajinikanth or Kamal Haasan, plays a woman with a complicated past?
Maa Inti Bangaaram story
Swarna (Samantha) is going to meet her husband Anurydh’s (Diganth) family for the first time after two years of their marriage. She’s worried she might not live up to their standards of a uttama mahila (ideal woman), further alienating her husband from her family. It’s a lot for an unassuming, petite woman in a saree to take on. Especially when she has competition from the bangaaram (gold/dearest) of the family, Anasuya (Sreemukhi), who is as ideal as they come. But soon, Swarna has to worry more than her lack of cooking and muggu (rangoli) skills when her past threatens to overshadow her future.
Maa Inti Bangaaram review
On the surface, Maa Inti Bangaaram follows the same template that numerous heroes have used for years now. A family man on the surface has a violent past that he does everything to protect his loved ones from. Before Rajinikanth had Jailer (2023), he had Baashha (1995). Kamal Haasan’s Vikram (2022) is also not far from your mind as you watch this film. But what sets it apart is that there’s a woman at the forefront of this battle. And with the woman comes a healthy dose of femininity, not just in the way she tackles things, but also as to why she’s in a difficult situation in the first place.
What works for the film
Maa Inti Bangaaram begins with an almost Kalisundam Raa-style template (2000), where estranged family members try to find their footing in a situation where they aren’t welcome. Banal issues like whether Swarna knows how to make delectable tamarind chicken or her Chittoor accent. You are also lulled into the saccharine bubble that she desperately wants to protect before Nandini eases you into something more. It helps that you care not just about Swarna but also about the people who make up her world, like her ride-or-die friend Kiranmayi (Jahnavi Dasetty) and even the annoying family member Buchiraju (Gavireddy Srinivas).
And when the film kicks into action, boy, does it thrive. Samantha is as much at ease while using kitchen utensils as weapons as she is in the film’s emotional scenes. The actor just thrives in the action scenes, making you believe she could take down everyone who stands in her way. And in a saree, no less. At one point, the antagonist even acknowledges he has created a rakshasi (demoness). Santhosh Narayanan’s Carnatic rock music, every time Swarna gets ready to kick some butt, adds to the thrill, and Muthyamantha Pasupu from Mutyala Muggu (1975) playing in some scenes makes you chuckle.
What doesn’t work
Karuna (Gulshan Devaiah) is introduced later in the tale as the thorn on Swarna’s side. He’s every feminist-presenting male you know, neatly packaged as a literal villain. Unfortunately, while the twisted Romeo-Juliet dynamic between Karuna and Swarna sounds great on the surface, it does not translate well on screen. The way their backstory is unveiled seems rushed. And while Raj and Nandini get props for not wanting to spoon-feed their dynamic to the audience, it also means that Karuna comes across like every other villain rather than the specific and all-too-familiar malevolence his character carries.
In conclusion
Give Samantha more action films with heart because she clearly thrives in the genre. As Swarna and Kiranmayi love to say, “Let’s come on!” Could Maa Inti Bangaaram have been better? Sure. But this is not a film that will leave you itching to go towards the exit sign. You’ll even want to stick around till the end for the cameo by Vennela Kishore during the credits. Now that’s a win.
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