Malini 22 Palayamkottai

A remake of the 2012-Malayalam film 22 Female Kottayam, Malini 22 Palayamkkottai turns what was a post modern revenge film (with a somewhat dubious women's lib credo) into a dated and tedious affair. Even if director Sripriya had stuck close to the original, we would have got an engaging thriller, but here, bludgeons even the tiniest bit of subtlety found in the original to give us a clumsy film that attempts to form a social awakening while putting its viewers to sleep.

The film begins with Malini (a miscast Nithya Menen), a nurse at a private hospital, getting arrested for being in possession of drugs and her story until this point unfolds as flash back. We are introduced to her friends-cum-colleagues, one of whom, Jency ( Anjali Rao), acts as a 'companion' for an older man, in whose mansion they stay together. Malini is befriended by Varun (Krish Sathar, impressive), who facilitates her visa to Canada, and the two soon become romantically involved. When Jency goes to Canada, Malini is forced to stay with Varun. One day, during Varun's absence, his boss Prakash ( Naresh) enters their home and rapes her. Malini is shell-shocked while Varun is furious. As she limps back to normalcy, Prakash enters her life again, and rapes her again! And, worse, she is arrested for possession of drugs. Malini loses all hope but when she learns about the betrayal that has led her to this fate, she plans her revenge.

Malini 22 Palayamkkottai is a very topical film, and it does have its heart in the right place but the problem with the film mostly lies with the direction, as Sripriya seems to lack a feel for the material. The filmmaking is tacky and at best TV serial-like. While this might not have felt out of place in an old-fashioned drama, here, it seems odd. Not only do the changes that she brings to this tale, in terms of characters and scenes (a needless fight inside the jail), add anything to the film, but they also feel frivolous. Take Kovai Sarala, who plays the heroine'...