You can gauge the pathetic condition that Malayalam cinema is in when a film that has been lying in the cans for eons is released without much fanfare or excitement.

The film is Magic Lamp starring Jayaram in three roles (actually four, the fourth one popping up at the end). The film belongs to the Stone Age with every gag and incident reminding us of that period. The story is credited to Ranjith and Haridas, the veteran screenwriter is the director.

Surprisingly, the hero does not appear in the story until the end of the first half. The twisted tale begins with the story of Anupama (Meena) an orphaned heiress, who aspires to be an air hostess. But, her grandfather played by Oduvil Unnikrishnan wants to marry her off.

To get out of this sticky situation, Aupama spreads at least half a dozen lies, one of them being her love for Sunny Kuruvilla (Jayaram No 1), a sports coach in a women's college, whose photo she literally got from thin air while manoeuvring through Bangalore traffic on her two-wheeler.

Meanwhile, Anupama's prank results in the cancellation of Sunny's engagement. The other Jayaram who suffers is Nandakumar, a married man whose wife and child leave him.

Chandrasenan is the third Jayaram, whom Anupama accuses of rape at a Goa [Images] resort. Typical of a Malayali hero, Chandrasenan takes upon himself the task of solving the mystery with the help of the other two hapless victims.

The basic plot lacks any substance and it is further marred by shoddy treatment. And there are too many Jayarams here to save the real one. Magic Lamp only helps to re-establish his credentials as a mimicry artist and not as an actor.

In short, Magic Lamp is a no- show.

Rediff Rating: