Mammootty and director Ranjith come together in "Prajapathi", after their successful outing with "Black".

"Prajapathi" is a repeat of Ranjith's older films, as you see bits and pieces of his successful films - as a writer first and director later. However, the cast, the treatment of characters and the Ranjith stamp keep the viewer riveted with expectations that something extraordinary will happen.

The story is about Davarmathom Narayanan (Mammootty), the virtual ruler of a small hamlet that has kept all the vices of the modern world at bay. The plot reminds us of recent Mohanlal-starrer "Naran", in which the hero uses his muscle power to make the whole village toe his line. Here, Narayanan is more democratic in his approach and calls a panchayat to punish people. The penalty is exile from the village for a period depending on the gravity of the crime.

There is also a family angle. Narayanan kills his father, for being cruel to his mother, at the age of 13 and serves sentence in a juvenile home. But, even before the interval, he is cleared of the crime.

His uncle (Nedumudi Venu) and cousins (Siddique and co) are his sworn enemies for obvious reasons - wealth and property.

What wins the day for the film is the acting. Mammootty is a towering presence in the whole scheme of things. Nedumudi Venu, as a villain in a peculiar getup, holds the audience's interest.

Sreenivasan's presence in this film was hyped, but he is just reduced to a caricature of himself.

Of the female actors, Seema, who plays Nedumudi Venu's wife, is made to look and act like a fairytale witch. Aditi Rao, who plays Mammootty's love interest, has nothing to do with the overall plot. Sandhya, who plays a supportive cousin from the enemy camp, lights up the screen whenever she makes an appearance.

It could be said that "Prajapathi" is a film made especially for the fans of Ranjith and Mammootty.