After establishing his credentials in Malayalam films as one of the top heroes of his times, and having directed a couple of Malayalam films in the recent past, Shankar returns to where he had begun — the Tamil film industry. Decades ago, Shankar had made his successful acting debut with Oru Thalai Ragam. Shankar’s debut directorial Tamil venture Manal Nagaram is set and shot in Dubai. It centres around the lives of three migrant workers, their aspirations, and the hurdles they had to face to realise their goals. The movie is set in a refreshing ambience, the screenplay is neatly etched and the narrative style simple. The characters are well fleshed out, their turmoils striking a chord with the audience.
In the movie, Mansur (Prajin) works as a sales commission agent in Dubai. His romance with Poornima (Tanishka), a waitress at a restaurant, has some cute moments.
It’s not a smooth sail for the duo. Poornima’s history is touching and convincing. Prajin essays his part impressively and debutante Tanishka is the perfect foil.
Meanwhile, Mansur’s friend, Anand (Gautham fits in neatly), who is in search of a job, is loved by Nisha (pretty Varuna), who is the daughter of a wealthy business tycoon (Shankar).
The course of their love becomes slightly predictable towards the end. James (Jaise plays it well), the third in the group, gets entangled in the affairs of a flesh-racket mafia.
The actors are suitably cast and fit in well. With Dubai’s laws being stringent, the story is about how the trio extricates itself from a serious situation. The affairs of each merge into the other effortlessly. The ‘blood money’ factor brings an interesting twist to the tale. Just like in real life, it’s not a typical fairy tale ending for all. The pace does slacken a bit at times. Though there are these minor glitches, they do not lack the entertainment quotient of the film. With its fresh screenplay and ambience, Manal Nagaram is an impressive debut by Shankar.
