MKSM begins on a fresh note but peters off in the latter half into a mushy sentimental drama that is so predictable with no reason or logic. The film opens with Mahalakshmi (Nadia Moidu) a determined mother who comes to Chennai with Kumaran, her 5-year-old son. The little boy grows up (Ravi) into a kick boxer aspiring to become a National champion. He also falls in love with a Malayalee girl (Asin) whom he calls Malabar.

Mahalakshmi is a college lecturer. The mother and son share a special bond and are more like friends. Soon she dies of heart attack but asks Kumaran to go and stay with his father Eashwar (Prakash Raj, a six times National kick boxing champion in Malaysia. The rest of the story is how Kumaran meets his dad whom he hates and wins over his second wife (Aishwarya) and his sister.

Raja has tried to make the film as sentimental as possible employing all clichés seen in umpteen films. The director has failed to bring conviction to the characters of Prakash Raj and Asin. The love between the lead pair is not convincing and the comedy of Vivek is a pain. He has rehashed all his old comedy tracks from Run and Shajahan. Some of the comedy scenes of Ravi and Vivek are straight lifts from Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgan's Ishq.

Ravi delivers a performance that makes you want to see more of him. He looks every inch a kick-boxer and convincing as an action hero, but his dialogue delivery has to improve. Asin has nothing much to do and her character is not etched out well. Prakash Raj is good as usual as a veteran boxer.

But it is Nadia Moidu as Mahalakshmi who steals the show with her natural performance. Be it a caring mother, estranged wife, her showdown with goondas, or a respectable teacher she is first class. Her presence makes the first half of the film lively and her comeback role is perfect.

Srikanth Deva’s music is disappointing except for the Neeye Neeye… score. The picturisation is also banal. The major problem is that the film is too lengthy, almost 3 hours which makes it tedious. The climax is also predictable and clichéd but if you like mush and melodrama go and see it.

Verdict: Average