YAGAVARAYINUM NAA KAAKKA MOVIE REVIEW

There cannot be a better material for films than Thirukkural. Universal messages wrapped in two lines, ironical, sweet at times and also really short. Yagavarayinum Naa Kaakka is one such film based on a disclaimer, actually a pick from one of Thiruvalluvar's masterpieces - Exercise caution on your tongue. Fondly called as YNK, this action-drama-thriller written and directed by Aadhi's elder brother Sathya Prabhas Pinisetty is a genuine, properly sketched (mock)tale of friendship, love, hatred and possessiveness. 

 

The film has got too much to tell, but the intention has its perks. When the friction of the tongue can create words, it can also lead to unforeseen, unexpected and disastrous events, which is what YNK deals with.

 

YNK is one movie that’s justified by everything in store to define it with the parliamentary term called commercial cinema, but also creates an impactful experience in the end. With the first half getting all the explanations for the story and some fillers, core plot and the actual high points get established only post the interval block and goes on till the climax while spoon-feeding the emotional journey of the characters through montages. Consciously negating the songs and the over-detailing of scenarios would have tightened the film a bit more and cut down the long runtime, though.

 

With nothing much to complain, the director capitalizes on the non-linear narration to accentuate the story with acceptable twists, but the foreplay takes long time before hitting the g-spot of the screenplay. Extra attention to the clichés and the cinematic liberties would have made YNK a little better than what it is. 

 

Exploiting Aadhi and his vitalities to the fullest, Sathya provides a strong comeback for his brother. With a dream cast, the director has utilized them to their fullest, through interesting character detailing and placing. Mithun Da anchoring the film on one side with his mightiness, the other side of the raft is equally balanced with Aadhi, Shyam, Shree Karthik and Sidharth as friends along with a slew of other artists like Nikki Galrani, Nasser, Aadukalam Naren, Kitty, Harish Uthaman, Richa Pallod and the indomitable Pasupathy.

 

Credits to the harmony between the director and the national award winning editor Sabu Joseph, the film doesn’t become a confused cluster of scenes, but a neatly arranged and grippingly packed (to an extent) film except for few dips and turns. Before attempting on pointing out the best portions, stereotypical elements like the dissatisfied father, an innocent mother, the quintessential love track and the capacity of the hero to fight could have been differently treated. Nikki Galrani rides a bullet, pulls off a non-stop mile long dialogue and dubs for herself with precision. Her infectious enthusiasm is a huge plus. Pasupathy and Harish Uthaman give their usual best but the surprise performances from Shyam, Shree Karthik and Siddharth deserves praise for shouldering the responsibility of not just being a mere sidekick to the hero, but adding reality factor to their roles by some really committed acting. 

 

Shanmuga Sundaram's 360* angle shots in the subway and one using a glass goblet are examples of innovation using visual language. His work proves to be a major strength for the film. Amaran's artwork differentiates all the socio-economic bifurcations while the flashy costumes and the sound design enhance the sensibilities. Production value and Kumaresan's dialogues are also noteworthy efforts. Amazing teamwork by the trio Prasan-Praveen-Shyam on the music has resulted in delivering a hard-hitting film with entertaining songs.