Fight for justice:

Malini 22, Palayamkottai/ Vijayawada

Vinitha Kattungal

After a long hiatus, Nithya Menen – the gorgeous bubbly girl with a Duchenne smile is back. In Malini 22 Palayamkottai / Vijayawada (Thriller drama), she portrays a strong independent woman who although traumatized, refuses to be a victim and embarks on a long arduous journey in the pursuit of justice. It is a remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam film 22 Female Kottayam directed by Aashiq Abu, wherein Rima Kallingal played the eponymous role. Apart from Nithya, Krish Sathaar plays the lead role in the remake.

Sripriya, who had carved a niche for herself as an actor in the 70's and 80's has donned the mantle of a writer and director for this movie. While this film is inspired by many others in the same genre like Sriram Raghavan’s Ek Haseena Thi, Mahesh Bhatt’s Gumrah, the Sidney Sheldon novel ‘If Tomorrow Comes’ and mostly inspired by Mein Zachi I Spit On Your Grave, the story is relevant to today’s society and highlights the vulnerable position of women.

Malini, the protagonist of the story is a young, beautiful and ambitious 22 year old nurse, who plans to travel to Canada to pursue her dreams. She is brutally raped and gets completely detached from reality. The story engine is revenge. Time for retribution - she waits silently and unseen; and takes revenge on her perpetrators who don’t stand a chance.

The audiences would be delighted to see the glamorous Nithya Menen essaying the role of a helpless woman, who reminds everyone ‘of a bird, trapped in a cage’, fighting her own emotional battle. The film is slated to release soon.