Malli Pelli (2023 film)

Malli Pelli is a 2023 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by M. S. Raju. The film stars Naresh, Pavitra Lokesh and Vanitha Vijayakumar with Jayasudha, Sarath Babu, Ananya Nagalla, Roshan, Ravivarma, and Annapurna in supporting roles. The story of Naresh and Pavithra's actual marriage is partially romanticized in the film.

Cast

 * Naresh as Narendra (based on Naresh himself)
 * Varshith Vemuri as child Narendra


 * Pavitra Lokesh as Parvati (based on Pavitra herself)
 * Ananya Nagalla as young Parvati
 * Vanitha Vijayakumar as Soumya Sethupathi (based on Ramya Raghupathi, Naresh's ex-wife)
 * Jayasudha as Narendra's mother (based on Vijaya Nirmala)
 * Sarath Babu as Narendra's stepfather (based on Krishna)
 * Ravi Varma as Phaneendra
 * Roshan Basheer as young Phaneendra
 * Annapurna as Annapoornamma
 * Bhadram

Production
The film was produced by Naresh under his banner, Vijaya Krishna Movies. The title Matthe Maduve was given to the Kannada dubbed version of the film. The film's cinematography was done by Bal Reddy, and Junaid Siddiqui handled the editing of the film.

The first-look poster was released on 24 March 2023. The teaser was released on 21 April 2023. The trailer was released on 11 May 2023.

Music
Suresh Bobbili and Aruldev composed the songs for the film, while Aruldev composed the background score.

Release
The film was released on 26 May 2023. Ramya Ragupathi, Naresh's ex-wife, filed a plea to prevent the film's release and to stop its distribution, claiming that it portrays her in a negative way. However, the film was released as scheduled.

Home media
Online streaming rights to the film were acquired by Amazon Prime Video.

Reception
Neeshita Nyayapati of The Times of India gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Malli Pelli is the tale of two consenting adults who happen to fall in love and face judgement from society. Watch it if that’s your cup of tea." Abhilasha Cherukuri of Cinema Express gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Malli Pelli surpasses the expectations it sets, surprising its viewers with sincerity on one end and unabashed glee on the other."

Avad Mohammad of OTTplay gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "MS Raju has neatly put his point across that love can be felt at any age in life. However, the film has issues in the second half. The flashback of Pavitra Lokesh is a tad boring and derails the flow of the film." 123telugu gave the film 2.75 out of 5 stars and wrote, "M.S. Raju managed to create some good moments, but the authenticity factor remains unknown as the movie is based on the real lives of Naresh and Pavitra. Also the slow narration at times hampers the impact."

Satya Pulagam of ABP Live Telugu gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated, "How did Pavitra and Naresh start dating? How do they get along with their life partners? The scenes are interesting." A critic from Sakshi gave the film a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 and gave a mixed review.

Kiran Kumar of News18 Telugu gave it 2.25 out of 5 stars and stated, "The life of Naresh is the subject of the controversial film Malli Pelli. The film contains issues like a sluggish narration and lack commercial values."