Maanaadu follows the story of a cat and mouse game between the protagonist and the antagonist who are stuck in a time loop. The story is definitely a high concept one although there are several films that are also based on the time loop(and there is a pop reference for the same in the film too). A month back the Malayalam film Churuli had also tackled the concept of a labyrinth. But then this film cannot be compared to that as at the end of the day, Maanaadu is in the commercial space. There are a few over the top sequences as well. But all of it is nicely wrapped in the form of a high concept thriller. The screenplay standing at almost two and a half hours takes a while to gather speed. The initial few minutes(about 30 odd minutes) are dedicated to the buildup. But once the time loop begins this drama moves at a break neck pace. It doesn’t allow you time to breathe or provide any respite. The cat and mouse chase is engaging and would keep you on your toes throughout. The sequences of events are repeated more than once but at no point do you feel bored. In fact it is the opposite. You are privy to a series of twists and turns where each the two leads try and overpower one another. That until the time loop begins. This culminates into a satisfactory end which is quite interesting to watch too. Another thing that I liked was that once they got to the main concept there were no distractions. It was pure entertainment and a high concept one! Overall, a brilliantly penned screenplay although with a few “loops” that I am willing to let go.