YASHODA (2022)
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| Critic No. 301 |
Director: Hari-Harish
Written by: Hari-Harish
Produced by: Sridevi Movies
Casts: Samantha, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Murali Sharma, Rao Ramesh
Music: Mani Sharma
Language: Telugu
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
SYNOPSIS:
An innocent woman, Yashoda, agrees to be a surrogate mother due to her circumstances. She then finds herself trapped in a world of uncertainties. Amidst a myriad of politicians, doctors, and powerful people, how does she battle her way out?
REVIEW:
Surrogacy is the main aspect of this science fiction thriller, built on true incidents. Even though I felt that the payoffs and character writing could have been stronger, Yashoda passes off as an interesting film that attempts to do something new.
When Yashoda signs on to be part of “Eva Institute”, a surrogacy agency, on the surface everything seems to be luxurious and comfortable. Yet there is an underlying sense that something is a miss. The film gradually anchors on this mystery and once it reveals the true intention of the agency, the tension rises wonderfully and you catch yourself looking for clues hidden in each frame.
The parallel track involving Murali Sharma and Sampath Raj as offices investigating crimes that ultimately converge with Yashoda’s main plot is effective until the final cards get revealed. We get a lengthy exposition without Samantha about the antagonists and caricaturist villainy gets introduced. This is where the film loses its steam a little as it creeps up to tug at the heartstrings of its perceived Indian audience.
Samantha is brilliant in each frame. The stardom seems to be subtle without any loud notes yet giving us the punch in the important beats of the film. She even draws whistles with the way she kicks butt and delivers genuinely-placed feministic dialogues. The more she gets into action mode the more we are thrown into a fun space.
The visuals are sleek and the art director Ashok Koralath detailed work on the intricate sets is commendable. The film also ends off with a genuine note about how the film is based on many true incidents in India. If only the melodrama and unnatural staging of the antagonists have been avoided, Yashoda would have been in the top league of Indian thrillers.
VERDICT:
Despite some stock characters in the play, ‘Yashoda’ is an innovative, sleek medical thriller powered hugely by Samantha’s spirited performance, championing her well-deserved stardom.
CELLULOID METER- 3.25/5:
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