The biggest strength of Malli Pelli is the chemistry that the lead actors, a real-life couple share and the solid emotional moments that the director created.
They develop feelings for each other. Narendra communicates his feeling, but Parvathy is apprehensive about how society would react, particularly the media.
VK Naresh and Pavitra Lokesh shoulder the film majorly and they do a swell job. Jayasudha and Sarath Babu only have few scenes, but they play them well.
The spouses of Narendra and Parvathy are portrayed as one-dimensional, with no redeeming quality. This gets bothersome, particularly in the second half.
The portrayal of the media is not only caricaturish but also highly offensive. A middle-aged romance and Naresh’s performance are the best things about this film.