Mallu Singh: Mass appeal & entertainment make it a winner, Unni Mukundan's a rising star

'Mallu Singh' directed by Vysakh (who is known for 'Seniors' and 'Pokkiriraja' fame) was 'housefull' and tickets were difficult to get in Ernakulam for the second show. But what interested me is that families seemed to flock to watch this colorful entertainer. The movie's mass appeal is its recipe for box office success. Kids seemed to enjoy every minute of this movie and the same goes for most families who had come to be entertained. Set in rural Punjab, the story of  'Mallu Singh' begins well but it lacks strong characterization, and that is the one thing that it needed most! There is no consistency to any of the characters given in this plot. All seem to run in different directions and for the same reason, the story is not as gripping as one would expect.

Mallu Singh Story is Weak, Inconsistent & Lacks Substance
Ani (who is played by Kunchacko Boban) goes to Punjab in search of a long lost cousin Hari (Unni Mukundan) only to discover that the Hari he knew has been replaced by a man called Hareender Singh who has Punjabi parents and four sisters he is extremely protective about. Confused by this, Ani makes friends with two other guys (Biju Menon and Manoj K Jayan) to find out if Hareender is indeed Hari in a disguise. Together, they get into 'investigative mode' that paves the way for several sticky, hilarious scenes that make viewers smile and laugh throughout the movie. Kunchacko Boban is getting better with handling comedy. He is coming out of the 'chocolate hero' mould and that itself is a refreshing sign.


Mallu Singh's four sisters roles are played by Aparna Nair, Meera Nandan, Rupa Manjari & Shawlin. But the story could have been better and could have given these fine actors some more 'meat' to make their characters more memorable.

Mallu Singh fails to tap talent of its actors

The film has a talented pool of some of Malayalam cinema's most versatile and fine actors. However, the director has not tapped their talent efficiently. Even for the sake of mass appeal, there is so much more that could have been done to improve the characterization. Actress Geetha, for instance, is an artist with tremendous untapped potential. Think of the movies that she has done in Malayalam and you will know what I am talking about. The same applies to Sai Kumar, Manoj K Jayan and Biju Menon, who are fantastic actors. The characterization and dialogues is funny but predictable and forgettable. Something 'extra' was missing when it comes to strengthening the plot with strong characters.

Mallu Singh Songs

Loud picturisation may be natural for this film but the songs are disappointing, forgettable and excessively loud.

Mallu Singh Verdict

It seems to be heading strongly as a box office hit. Families and kids are enjoying the film. There are no obscenities, vulgar jokes and so on that have recently become more loud in Malayalam films. The movie is meant to entertain families and it does that senselessly. There's fun, there's love, there's action and there's the promise of a refreshing new hero who can do better and better: Unni Mukundan is worth watching out for.