Maremma review: A boring rural drama with a weak debut by Maadhav – Telugu Cinema

What’s “Maremma” about?

In 1996, Mahishapur, a village in Warangal district, has been through several calamities over the years. The villagers believe that Maremma Talli, their village deity, protects them, and conduct a grand jathara once every ten years. As part of the ritual, a bull is offered to the deity. Maari is the bison chosen for the upcoming ceremony and is reared with great affection by Karni (Maadhav).

Karni is not interested in studies and works as a buffalo herder. He is also in love with his maradalu Manju (Deepa Balu), who is pursuing a B.Ed. Meanwhile, Jalandhar (Vikas Vasishta), a small-time politician, holds a grudge against Karni after being humiliated by him years ago.

Just days before the upcoming jathara (in 2006), Jalandhar kidnaps Maari. The villagers blame Karni for failing to protect the bison, forcing him to join them in searching the nearby forests. But Jalandhar and his men also lose track of Maari and begin hunting for it, as he wants to kill the animal before the villagers find it.

Who will find Maari first? And will Maremma finally bless the villagers?

Analysis

“Maremma” attempts to tell a rural story rooted in Telangana culture, local beliefs and village traditions. The setting has some potential, but the film never develops its basic premise into an engaging drama.

Generally, Telugu films tend to lose steam in the second half. But in “Maremma”, neither half is engaging. The biggest problem is the writing and direction. The conflict surrounding Maari does not have enough dramatic weight, and the screenplay struggles to create either tension or curiosity. The film keeps circling around the same problem, with scenes repeating without adding much to the narrative.

The director has little grip over scene construction, humour or romance. There is hardly any freshness in the way the story progresses.

In one scene, Jalandhar denies kidnapping the bison when the villagers accuse him. His father also comes forward and tells the villagers that his son could not have had anything to do with it and asks them to leave. In the very next scene, Jalandhar is seen instructing his men to find the bison they kidnapped. His father simply looks on without saying a word. Such glaring inconsistencies in character behaviour are symptomatic of the weak writing and direction.

Except for the track involving “Balagam” fame Roopa Lakshmi, most of the scenes are poorly written and executed. The romantic track between Karni and Manju is particularly boring and does little to add an emotional dimension to the story.

Ravi Teja’s nephew Maadhav, who makes his acting debut, is a major weakness. His expressionless face and lack of acting ability make several scenes even more tedious. He struggles particularly in moments that demand intensity, affection or emotional involvement, making Karni an unconvincing protagonist.

Deepa Balu is comparatively better. Vikas Vasishta is adequate as Jalandhar, while Roopa Lakshmi makes a stronger impression and brings some authority to her role.

The technical departments do little to rescue the film. The music director, poor fellow, tries hard to create some “tension” through the background score, even when the scenes themselves are completely passive. He appears to be doing his best to make the material work with what he has been given. The production design, however, is below the required standard and does not sufficiently bring the rural setting to life.

The basic issue with “Maremma” is the poor direction and narration by Manchala Nagaraj.

Bottom-line: “Maremma” eventually becomes a long and tedious search for a bison, with very little progression until the climax. The weak lead performance, amateurish narration, repetitive scenes and ineffective humour further hurt the film.

Rating: 1.75/5

By: TC Staff