Kokoi tries every trick in the book to harm Rameshwari. She uses black magic and the evil monstrous Tantrik Bhakshu [Murli Sharma], who has devils and spirits as his pets. She uses her brother, a murder convict Sadhu Pahalwan [Shahbaaz Khan], but in vain. Unknown to them, Maruti [Erik Nanda] is Rameshwari's saviour and they all have to contend with and face him.

There's no denying that ‘Maruti Mera Dosst’ has a few clapworthy sequences, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Besides, director Manikya Raju devotes too much time to the evil forces, when, in fact, he should've concentrated on the kids. One of the prime reasons why ‘Hanuman’ worked was because a large number of viewers not only enjoyed the movie as also the animation quality, but also felt enriched and enlightened by the experience. That's certainly not the case with ‘Maruti Mera Dosst’.

Technically speaking, Manikya Raju gets it right. The lighting of several sequences - as mentioned earlier - gives a scary movie effect. The background score is apt at times, but jarring at points. Talking of music, 'Jai Hanuman Gyan Gun Sagar' [over opening titles] is a devotional track that you've grown up listening to. But the other tracks are uninspiring.

Chandrachur Singh has nothing to do. Sushmita, Murli and Shahbaaz are fine actors, but their mannerisms are ill-suited here. The young people at the start and end are complete non-actors. The girl portraying Rameshwari is okay, but the only one who stands out is the child actor enacting the role of Maruti - Erik. He's adorable and a complete natural as far as acting goes.

... contd.