Debutant Sathya Prabhas's Yagavarayinum Naa Kaaka could've been a riveting thriller, provided the thrills didn't come so late in the story. Early on, we get a glimpse of a murder. We're not sure who the victim is. Then, we're introduced to two characters in captivity, and going by the dialogues, they're presumably held for doing something wrong. Next, we meet Saga (played by Aadhi) in Mumbai, and he's there to meet Mudaliar (played by Mithun), the most dreaded don. As you start to wonder why Saga wants to meet Mudaliar, there's a flashback and a good half hour of it is spent on things that could've been easily avoided.
In the backstory, we learn about Saga and his friends, Siva, Rajesh and Kishore. They're such close friends that when we meet Saga for the first time, the camera zooms in on a tattoo (not on his face) with the initials SRK of his friends, indicating that everything else in his life is only after his friends. Saga is from a middle-class family with problems that are commonly associated with the class. Essentially, the first half is about Saga and his friends, their camaraderie and a totally needless love track featuring Nikki Galrani as Nikitha (who is terrific in her role). But there's a lovely stretch featuring Nikki (in her introduction scene) buying alcohol from a TASMAC shop and some condoms, but using them for a different purpose. How often do we see that in a Tamil film? Maybe never. It's these small things that keep you invested in the mostly bland first half.
Yagavarayinum... truly begins in the second half and it keeps you on the edge of your seats through most part of it. Right from the scene in which the group of friends mess with the wrong sort till the climax (which required some subtlety), what you witness is not some ordinary work of a filmmaker. Sathya Prabhas shows a lot of promise, which you wish he showed right from the beginning. Because it almost felt like watching two different films for the price of one. Ideally, the story should've focused on the friends and the repercussions of the problem they create for themselves. The problem, in my opinion, is to unnecessarily make Yagavarayinum... look like an out-and-out commercial, masala entertainer when it deserves and should be and presented as a thriller.
On the contrary, there's so much to like about the film. Take that scene when Saga begs for a chance to be heard. I mean, he's a Tamil cinema hero and it wouldn't have surprised me had he decided to give the goons a drubbing. Though he does once, it's only when they scurry with his girlfriend's half-sari. Otherwise, he always seeks resolution through dialogue. The most likeable part about the film, undoubtedly, has to be the performances from its ensemble cast. While it's no surprise Aadhi and other popular faces performed well, I'm sure nobody (including myself) would've expected the newcomers to floor you. Karthick, Siddharth and Shaam, who played Aadhi's friends, were extremely good, and so was Richa, who was impressive in her cameo.
The length definitely needs some trimming. If not the scenes, at least a couple of songs need to go. Yagavarayinum... is not a bad film but it could've been a much, much better film.
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Tagged as Aadhi Pinisetty, Aadhi's Yagavarayinum Naa Kaaka, Harish Uthaman, Malupu, Mithun Chakraborty, movie review, Nasser, Nikki Galrani, Pasupathy, review, Sathya Prabhas Pinisetty, Shree Karthick, Siddharth, Tamil, Thriller, Yagavarayinum Naa Kaaka, Yagavarayinum Naa Kaaka Review