After doing a few offbeat roles in last four months, Mammootty is back with the Malayalam film, Mayavi. Directed by Shafi, this film has all the ingredients -- comedy, action, and dance -- to make a masala hit. But it fails dismally.

Rafi-Mecartin's script creates a story around a character Mahi (Mammootty), who goes to jail for money by owning up to crimes he did not commit. Mahi is the sort of person who beats up people in the dark without revealing his identity, thus earning him the name of Mayavi.

After agreeing to take the flak for a yet-to-be committed murder, to pay for the surgery of a friend's brother, the complicated movie goes on to test the endurance of the viewers.

Throughout the movie, told in an episodic manner, Mahi remains the link that connects all the other stories. The other characters appear, vanish and reappear as per their will. Out of these characters one is Balan (Manoj K Jayan), Mahi's friend in jail, for whose brother Mahi agrees to take up the murder charge.

The other people in the ensemble cast do a decent job. Gopika impresses while Lalitha, as the venom spewing angry matriarch, does not have anything new to do.

The film has too many characters and could have done better with more editing, particularly in the climax.

One-liners, bordering on innuendoes, keep the viewer interested but not for long.         

Camerawork by Sanjeev Shankar is worth watching.

The verdict? Mayavi may have marked the return of Mammootty to commercial films, but only his diehard fans will be happy.

Rediff Rating: