‘Malli Modalaindi’ movie review: A fairly refreshing take on life after divorce

A well-intentioned drama that could have benefitted with some zing in writing

When the male protagonist says reflectively that he thought he understood women since he grew up surrounded by them, but has realised that love and marriage are different ball games, it hints at some thought having gone into the film’s writing. Certainly Malli Modalaindi, written and directed by TG Keerthi Kumar, breaks a few cliches for Telugu cinema.

For starters, the story does not judge men and women who part ways. It understands what they go through - the reason could be something harrowing like dowry harassment, sexual harassment or something that is often overlooked, like incompatibility. The story also doesn’t have characters doling out advice to women and warning that life gets tough after divorce. Instead, it depicts a male point of view, highlighting that separation is not a smooth ride for them either.

Chef Vikram (Sumanth Kumar) grew up admiring the strength of his mother Sujatha (Suhasini), an entrepreneur whose spice business grows manifold. He takes to cooking naturally and becomes a chef. Narrated matter of factly, the situation gently asserts that it is not unthinkable in a traditional household of the late 1990s for an adolescent boy to spend time in the kitchen.