Movie: Yashoda
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Samantha, Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar, Unni Mukundan
Director: Hari and Harish
Produced By: Sivalenka Krishna Prasad
Release Date: 11th November, 2022
Samantha’s Yashoda has hit the screens worldwide and right from its first look, the film managed to create intrigue and excitement. The film’s trailer which was released recently received a terrific response and the audience praised the film’s concept and Samantha’s portrayal of a pregnant woman embroiled in the surrogacy mafia.Let’s see if the movie is as good as the promotions portrayed.
Story: Yashoda (Samantha) is a woman belonging to a financially weak household. She gets an opportunity to earn good money by engaging in surrogacy. She joins a sophisticated and plush surrogacy center where every comfort is provided to her to bring a healthy child into the world. Unexpectedly, Yashoda stumbles upon some dark secrets of this world and finds out that things are not as positive as it looks. What she does next and what are the dark truths that she finds out are what the movie is about.
Performances: Samantha is the whole and soul of Yashoda. She has given a mature yet intense performance as a protective mother and an individual responsible for well being of her fellow surrogate mothers. She shoulders the film well and excels in emotional as well as action sequences. Apart from Samantha, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar also excels and has portrayed multiple shades with great ease. The extended cast of Murali Sharma, Unni Mukundan, Sampath are dependable as ever and perform decently.
Analysis: Samantha’s Yashoda has picked a unique concept and credit must go to Hari and Harish for bringing this story to the mainstream. The first half is slightly slow and the screenplay could have been more engaging to jump to the main topic. It’s the second half where the intense drama and action sequences kick in and some edge-of-the-seat scenes take place. Aside from some creative liberty and illogical sequences, such as Samantha’s escape scenes, the movie is a well-packed thriller.
Plus Points:
- Samantha’s performance
- Gripping narration
- Production values
- Supporting cast
Minus Points:
- Weak on the emotional front
- Slow first half
- Second half
Verdict:
Yashoda is an engaging attempt at bringing a fresh concept to the mainstream. The casting, technical values and performances are all on point. The movie would have been much more engaging if the makers focussed on crispier writing and better logical scenes. The box-office performance of the film now depends on the word of mouth.
