‘Yathisai’ movie review: An impressive period drama made with conviction

Coincidence or not YathisaiLatest Tamil period film with all-new cast, will draw comparisons with Mani Ratnam’s masterpiece Ponniyin Selvan – 2 Since the latter is set to release just a week after the former; They are both historical dramas with a fictional twist on history based on the famous Tamil kingdoms. But the similarities between the two stop there, and YathisaiDirected by Dharani Rasendran, the film has enough seriousness and uniqueness to stand on its own. On one hand, it sometimes lacks the cleverness of a Mani Ratnam film, but it is much more grounded, brutal and raw in its form, and in that sense, can be compared to Zack Snyder’s Indian version. 300 than anything else – you read that right!

From the outset, there are quite a few superficial flaws Yathisai wants you to look beyond, like the disturbing CGI blood, the dramatic dialogue delivery from some of the actors, and the straight staging of some scenes. And, although the effort is commendable, it takes a few minutes to get used to some of the characters talking in 7th-century Tamil (adding subtitles is a win). But beyond these initial stops, what a patient viewer is waiting for is truly impressive.

During its runtime, Yathisai takes itself very seriously and the author means business, right from the way he begins telling his story. An old man from the Einar clan begins to narrate the story of how 15 years ago, Kodhi (Seyon), a young hot-blooded man from his clan, confronted the powerful Pandyan king Randheeran (Shakti Mithran), who had largely destroyed the alliance. defeated. Army of Cheras and Cholas. And he tells this to Ranadheeran’s son whom they have taken prisoner. Note that this is not a story told to a son by his father – which is usually the case – and it is not a story of one king taking on another. Fearing death during the great Chera-Pandiya war, many surviving Chola clans took refuge in the dense forests, living helplessly as ‘hunting nomads’, as one puts it. Yathisai The story is of a downtrodden soldier from a low-ranking Chola clan, numbering hundreds, who aspires to defeat a Pandyan emperor who rules from the palace of the defeated Cholas. of World YathisaiAs the old man goes on narrating, it grows and grows.

One of the most startlingly impressive feats of this film is how a novice director and an inexperienced crew have made a period film of this scale. Take two big action sequences to back it up; One is when the leper meets Randheeran for the first time and the other, a surprise sequence, involves a conflict between the Einar clan and the Perumpalli clan. In addition to the well-choreographed action involving hundreds of stuntmen, they’re also up close and brutal, putting us right in the middle of the gore-fest, so much so that you’re amazed despite the occasional annoyance of CGI-created blood and wounds. become.

The sets, when the graphics aren’t used, are spectacular, the acting works for the most part, and there’s enough to keep your attention throughout – the great thing is that there’s no such thing in Tamil. the movie hasn’t been made (some might say it’s a Aayirathil Oruvan on drugs). But all this doesn’t necessarily make for a perfect movie watching experience, as something that amateurishly puts you off every now and then.

The biggest issue is editing; It becomes a bit uncomfortable watching a film that refuses to let its frames breathe even when shot well. The sense of urgency in the narration could have been a little less. On the other hand, a scene involving a human sacrifice (featuring Guru Somasundaram in a cameo) is carried beyond a point for an effect this film did not require. The music in the film, although very clearly composed, is sometimes very distracting. Although the cinematography is neatly done, the erratic grading is a turn-off; It looks overly saturated in some places, making natural-looking parts look dull, and color tones keep shifting.

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Bad editing and distracting music really spoil the clarity of the storytelling, especially considering that after a point, the screenplay struggles to move all the weight it initially claims to carry. Does The leper’s quest to ascend the throne is reason enough but we don’t go deep enough to really care about him and see him as nothing more than a vengeful man who turns into a mad, lustful beast. Meanwhile, Ranadheeran, interestingly being who he is, consummates his marriage and convinces his new wife that she matters little in this political game played by men. Also, the film is not forthright enough in its attempts to show the dangers faced by women in this game of men, and we get our answers about an interesting subplot featuring Rajalakshmi as Devaradiyar. asked to wait for the sequel, which is meant to explore that theme.

But for all these issues, this is a film that the future can look forward to positively, as a commendable effort by a fresh cast. Above all, this is coming from a young, one-film-old director who has a strong voice and a leper-like, zeal to climb to the top, pulling off something truly impressive. Yathisai With great confidence.

Yaathisai is scheduled to release in theaters this Friday