Mapla Singam

 

Mapla Singam is an Indian Tamil action romantic comedy film directed by Rajasekhar. Don Ashok has penned the dialogs. N. R. Raghunanthan has scored the music. The film features Vimal and Anjali in the leading roles, with Soori in a supporting role.

Director: Rajasekhar

Music: N.R. Raghunanthan

Stars: Vimal, Anjali, Soori

 

Shylu (Anjali), a criminal lawyer who’s also the ‘man of her house’. When goons enter her house to beat up her elder brother, it is she who comes to his rescue instead of it being the other way around.

The second is the daughter (Madhumila) of a caste-based political leader (Radha Ravi), who wants to work after she’s completed her masters — the only one to do so in her family. So, when she runs away from home, she’s not exactly eloping with her lover. She’s just gone to Coimbatore to attend an interview. Even her love story is the result of her pursuing him with dozens of love letters and cards.

It’s in the middle of these strong women that we find Anbu (Vimal), someone who specialises in splitting up couples from different castes. Anbu’s the heir apparent to his uncle’s school of divisive politics, and ascribes to his policy of women from his caste not needing to work, including his educated cousin. His entourage includes a white guy (and also Soori and Kaali Venkat), who gives us an outsider’s perspective into caste and their brand of politics.

But all that’s set to change the moment Anbu falls for Shylu. Mapla Singam isn’t disappointing merely because the jokes don’t work, it disappoints because it would have been great to see a comedy with progressive ideas doing well in the hinterland.