Maanikya is a faithful remake of Telugu flick Mirchi that released in 2013 and is the fifth remake by Sudeep as a director. The oft told tale in Telugu films, gets a terrific rendering here. Slated as a family entertainer, Maanikya has everything — action, romance, sentiment, humour, elaborate sets with a good ensemble cast and good performances. Stories of two villages are brilliantly constructed as a family drama with Sudeep playing Vijay. Jay, as he is lovingly called studies abroad and is charmed by Manasa (Ranya) whom he meets at a college. She tells him about her family background. That’s when he makes up his mind to go back home without her knowledge. There is a big plan to reform the girl’s family and for this, he takes help from bank manager, Sadhu Kokila. Vijay manages to charm every member in the family except Beera (Ravi Shankar). Happy with the changes in her family, the girl expresses her love for Vijay. That’s when the real reason behind Vijay’s effort is revealed and it comes as an interesting twist in the second half.
A flash back reveals the tale of Vijay’s father (Ravichandran) and his mother (Ramya Krishnan) who are staying apart. Vijay learns the identity of his father through his mother much later. And so, he decides to meet him and the rest of the family, after 27 years. What happens when father-son duo come together? Will Vijay and Manasa ever get together?
What role does Sindhu (Varalaxmi Sharathkumar) play in Vijay’s life? Is Vijay trying to bridge the gap between two families? The questions are answered well by this action-packed and yet sentimental film.
Sudeep has pulled off the film credibly as a director and actor but looks a bit tired at times probably because of the huge responsibility he undertook. He is excellent in scenes when he shows the human frailty of his character. A role only matched by Ravichandran as the father. Both Ranya and Varalaxmi play their parts well but fail to impress.
With writing by Koratala Siva, a good supporting cast combined with Arjun Janya’s music, cinematography by Shekhar Chandra and Sudeep’s over all effort, the film has turned out to be a good family entertainer.
The Verdict: One time watch
Film: Maanikya
Cast: Sudeep, Ravichandran, Ranya, Varalaxmi
Director: Sudeep