Mallepuvvuu means the fragrance of love as the tagline of the Telugu film states. But the movie is also about the times we live in today -- a world where terrorism and terrorist attacks are part and parcel of daily life. So terrorism forms the backdrop to this 'love story'.

Writer Ramesh Varma pens a story whose inspiration stems from real life to some extent. Director V Samudra translates it into celluloid with some amount of 'realism' infused with 'escapist' entertainment in the form of songs and dances.

Koti (Muralikrishna) is a labourer at a construction site who dreams of going to Dubai. He makes tea and serves it to all the other labourers. In this scenario, arrives Malliga -- Bhumika disguised like a boy. As the incognito labourer, she does not utter a word; only 'talks' through her facial expressions and body language.

Due to her, Koti is divested of his tea duties which are transferred to Malliga. He is naturally angry about this. One day he notices when she loosens her hair. That's when he falls for her in a jiffy...

While this is happening on the one hand, a group of men are searching for Bhumika. The police have her Bangladeshi passport and are hot pursuit. Malliga stops at a phone booth and makes a call to Bangladesh... With all this, the mystery of the character deepens. Is she a terrorist? Is she not...

Thus, the director sets the tempo and builds the curiosity of the viewer in the first half. There is an eagerness to know who she is. The pace of the first half slackens a bit now and then.

A major part of the movie is set in the construction site. So it is devoid of gloss and glamour, which to some extent, reminds us of the Iranian movies which portray stark reality.

The second half unfolds the flashback and the twists. The subsequent turn of events are quite the kind one has seen on screen and the film falls into the usual path thence on.

In such a story with terrorism as the milieu, director Samudra would have done well, had he not fallen prey to the numerous songs inserted in and letting the story slip into the run-of-the-mill path (haven't we seen umpteen stories where girls are sold to brothels?).

He could have ensured that the realistic feel set out in the first part was continued. Thankfully the ending is atypical.

Bhumika essays the role with ease and elegance and is apt for the character. She performs in the first half effortlessly.

Debutant Muralikrishna looks earnest in the film, dancing and fighting fairly well. Samudra dons the actor's cap too and plays the friend's role well. Venu Madhav's 'comedy' act provides the so-called relief but is absolutely unnecessary and unwarranted.

Somehow maestro Ilayaraja's music leaves one a trifle disappointed.

Watch it for its novel treatment.

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