Mohanlal connects with audience again in 'Hello'

Cast: Mohanlal, Parvathy Melton, Jagathy Sreekumar and Siddique;Director: Rafi-Mecartin; Producer: Joy Thomas Sakthikulangara; Music: Alex Paul

For the first time in their career, superstar Mohanlal and director duo Rafi-Mecartin come together in "Hello", a laugh riot crafted for the actor and his fans. The film satisfies the directors' fan club as well.

The story yields a string of a-gag-a-minute situations, fully and unapologetically exploiting Mohanlal's flair for comedy. The storyline may otherwise be wafer thin, but the viewer is not given an opportunity to think about it till the end.

It is all about lawyer Sivaraman (Mohanlal), an alcoholic, who leaves his practice and hits the bottle after his family disapproves of his love.

Action begins when he receives an anonymous call on his cell phone from a damsel in distress who has been abducted by goons. He rescues the woman and learns that she is from a wealthy North Indian joint family and someone from that family wants to kill her for the property.

The plot thickens, with suspected villains chasing the woman and the ensuing confusion, tension and action. Follow the twists and turns, which lead to the grand finale.

It is a typical Rafi-Mecartin plot - racing away in the first half and proceeding at a snail's pace in the second.

Mohanlal is the soul of the film and carries it on his shoulders. However, Jagathy Sreekumar shares some of his burden.

Parvathy Melton, the leading lady is just a pretty face in her debut film. Maybe we can expect more from her in future.

Alex Paul's music is apt for such a film. He has churned out a mixture of foot-tapping numbers and melodious songs.