Mala - A suffered soul

Movie: Mala

Director: Sudeep Bhupal Singh ‘Bobbie’

Starring: Priyanka Karki, Aryan Sigdel, Prajwal Sujal Giri, Sumina Ghimire and more

In my eyes: *** (out of 5)

From the very start, Mala has the feel of the horror movie and it maintains the scary atmosphere throughout the film, however, it is less horror and less thrilling compared to its suspense element. Now, we are not watching the full-fledged horror movie to comment about the horror and thrill magnitude. There are few other horror or suspense thrillers in Nepali movies and somehow they all look same in the setting. But, Mala is a bit different and more than just an average flick; it triggers a serious issue in the unique way of storytelling, thus making it a decent watch.

Plot:

Mala (Priyanka Karki) in a white blouse and white sari with long free hair and sad dark face gets into the woods to hang herself from a tree.
Aakash (Prajwal Sujal Giri) is frequently haunted by Mala, for which his wife (Sumina Ghimire) takes him to the hospital, Jhakri and Mata. Dr. Neal (Aryan Sigdel) doesn’t believe in ghosts, souls and such things until he too starts getting haunted by Mala. In a flashback, it is revealed that how Aakash suffered Mala, the consequences thereafter provoking Mala to suicide. Neal goes on to the village with his comical Mama to find a meaning of the recurring dream he is having in which he sees himself following Mala into the forest where she commits a suicide. Following the locations seen in dream, they together with Mala’s parents find a body of Mala and gets it a proper funeral. But, the story does not end here. If one is feeling what’s next after burning the body and freeing a soul, then let me tell you that this movie has something more to tell. Why is Mala haunting Neal? Watch the movie for answer.

What I felt:

Director Sudeep Bhupal Singh ‘Bobbie’ aims to portray the rising social problem of trafficking. He is successful to build up the right mood and hit the main issue only towards the climax by showing the guts of creating a rather unique plot for such storyline. I loved how he has treated the things by injecting a suspense and thrill into the plot. He deserves praise for this decent attempt. However, writing seems just average for this rare and serious subject. Characterizations seem less convincing besides that of Mala and story seems a bit rushed towards climax. Had the screenplay been more tightly written and the characters built more strongly, this one could clearly be one of the well-crafted exceptional and gripping movies. It is already exceptional in its own way though.

Background score suits well to its dark theme, it never gets too loud for any thrill. Paap yehi punya yehi is a nice song and has been well fitted to the plot. Cinematography and editing are good. There are scenes that look exaggerated such as hospital and home discussions involving Neal’s and his uncle’s character but again, there are some nice ones to balance such as one showing the Mala’s face and her eyes opening underwater. The long-run scenes of Mala’s suicide and those recurring dreams of Neal are sharply edited and have the exact amount of display as needed. Aakash’s haunted scenes are equally worthwhile. Movie is a bit predictable initially but the gripping context shown during climax can be the nice surprise. Movie never gets boring as it makes an interesting watch, making curious and guess random things.

Talking about the loopholes, I got the feeling of incompleteness in the plot in case of showing the Mala’s journey and the obstacles therein. It is convincing character but somehow builds an urge to expect more from her past, one would surely want some more depth in Mala’s character. Though Aakash and his wife’s characters are supporting ones, it should have been more developed for its own good. Neal’s feelings look obvious for the given scenario but the main reason for his journey into the unknown village seems less convincing, given that he is the doctor who does not believe in superstitions. Also, the humor it wanted to deliver through the character of Neal’s uncle is not so humorous at all and could have been avoided, except for that “Colors lagaunu na, Gutthi aauchha tesma”.

Coming up to performances, Priyanka Karki

has yet again proven her mettle. Without having much dialogue to speak out, she has done a decent job in delivering the emotions through her expressions. She seems every bit convincing as the suffered scary soul. But I wished there would have some more intensity in the structure of Mala’s story for her to deliver more stronger act. Though Mala is the central character, Aryan Sigdel’s Neal takes the lead here. He has done a good job overall and is different from his lover-boy roles, however his usual gags are there during the initials. Prajwal Sujal Giri, being a newcomer, is good in portraying Aakash. Sumina Ghimire is okay for the given part. Other characters are average.

Final Say:

As a whole, Mala is the unique storytelling of a serious social issue, executed with suspense and fear elements and having its shares of goods and bads both. I liked the movie mainly for its context and different setting, so worth- watching once.

(Photo courtesy: merocinema.com)