Manasinakkare is a sweet movie with humor and sentiment mixed in the right proportion. The huge plus is the scintillating performance from the cast. Sheela steels the show with one of the all time best performance. Extra dose of sentiment might attract audience loving family stories.
Character Introduction
Kombanakkaadu Kochu Theresa (Sheela) lives in a Big Bungalow with her elder son Tony's family (Siddique), his wife who is always annoyed by Sheela's activities and younger son Benny. Tony manages multiple businesses including arrack shops and managing family rubber/pepper estates. Benny is local congress party leader. She has another son (Johny) living in Bangalore with his family with somewhat rude wife. She has a daughter who had a love marriage with lorry driver Nedumudi Venu with whom every one else is generally unhappy. Theresa's husband knows as "Maathukutty Ichaayan" is no more.
Jeyaram (Reji) is a local chicken shop owner with father as Innocent. Mother was dead long before. Innocent is a drunkard who frequently breaks things around and costs Jayaram all the time. Maamu Koya is a marriage broker. Oduvil Unnikrishnan and Sukumaari are loyal communist members and Nayan Thara (Gowri) is their daughter, and she is known for her stingy behavior. KPAC Lalitha is the childhood friend of Theresa.
Story Line
Theresa is generally treated shabbilly by the sons with her ordinary wishes being turn-down. She is very nostalgic and ecalls the ordinary life she had with "Mathu Kutty Ichaayan" every now and then. Johny's wife insults KPAC by throwing the sweets she made in garbage. Theresa slams everyone and situation turns worse. She has a beloved baby cow "Maalu" which she treats as the gift of her husband. She gets injured oneday trying to catch Maalu. Tony sells the cow to Jayaram ignoring Theresa's sentiments. Theresa comes to Reji's house to feed Maalu and gets along with Reji and Gowri. Reji takes Theresa to movie and fulfills her other simple wishes and starts earning hatreds of Teresa's family. Reji and Theresa get caught by police playing cards. Gowri's parents keep looking for a good alliance.
Movie takes a turn when some people who had the arrack in Tony's shop get admitted in hospital with one of them serious. Tony reveals that the shop's license is in Theresa's name. Police arrests Theresa and she comes in bail. She looses her always happy mood from this point. The family members gets annoyed at Tony accusing him spending family money for his personal mistakes.
Theresa mentions to Reji that she eloped with Mathukutty Ichayan when she was 17 and she never visited her hometown and family for 52 years. She said, Ichayan promised her to take her there one day when no one recongizes them. Reji offers her to take her to her childhood place. Reji, Theresa, Gowri all go together. Theresa emotionally looks her birth place, schools, playing places and a sensational song follows. At this point, Tony complains that he can no longer take care of Theresa citing her wayward behavior. Theresa decides to give away all the properties and just keep the house she is living. She also holds her legacy small house which they first bought and reveals that she will give it away to the Church after her time.
Climax
By this time, Gowri's marriage is confirmed. Innocent drinks too much and Reji decides to put him in Elder's nursing home. In the last minute he changes his decision and the both have some arrack and sing a happy song. Next day, Innocent dies on his sleep. Reji is devastated. Gowri and Theresa console him. Reji and Gowri slowly realize that they miss each other. Theresa recongnizes their love and she convinces them to get married.
The serious person on hospital dies and the relatives demand 10 lakhs from Siddique. He refuses to give turning into a chaos. Theresa visits the family and agrees to pay 10 lakhs. Tony goes ballistic against Teresa saying he won't give 10 lakhs and he does not care if the mother goes to jail. Theresa says she will sell the house and give away the money to the family.
When she offers the house for 10 lakhs, every son/daughter try to buy the property. She decides to auction. Tony ends up buying it for 20 lakhs. Theresa deparst from the house and stays in the legacy small house. Reji comes and says she will have to live with him and Gowri and takes her with him. That ends the story.
Highlights
Sheels steels the show with her stunning performances. Jayaram and Nayanthara makes us envy the simple and happy life they lead. KPAC does a five minute cameo and draws tears when she desribes about her future when she moves to USA. Oduvil/Innocent/Sukumari/Mammukoya provide good humor and add synergy. All the actors in the family portray the
cunning behavior of modern rich families. Ilayaraja has couple of great songs and sensational background music.
Overall Sathyan Anthikad has given a memorable comeback to Sheela and Manasinakkare is one of the finest family movies.
