Flat comedy fails to tickle the funny bone

Flat comedy fails to tickle the funny bone

With the comedy genre gaining popularity, there has been a spate of comic entertainers released in recent times. But not all such efforts have been successful. For, the makers forget that without the backing of a strong screenplay, the actors alone cannot deliver the laughs.

Ya..Ya directed by Rajasekaran has Shiva and Santhanam in the lead roles. But with the screenplay falling short on the humour quotient and the narration lacklustre, there is not much the actors can do.

The plot centres around two guys Ramarajan and Rajkiran (Shiva, Santhanam), who have rechristened themselves as Dhoni and Sehwag, respectively.

The reason for the name change is not exactly clear, since both don’t reveal any great passion for cricket.

From strangers to friends and then rivals, it’s about how the changing equation between the duo affects those around them.

Shiva is his usual self, delivering the funny lines with a poker face.

But since there aren’t many witty lines or situations in the film, the actor appears repetitive in his expressions and mannerisms. There are more of the song-dance numbers than Shiva ever had in his earlier films. Not quite falling in his comfort zone, he goes through the motions zombie-like.

Hopefully he’ll put in more energy the next time around.

Santhanam manages to generate some laughs, but the moments are very few and far between. There are two women in the story - Dhoni’s cousin, constable Kanaga (Sandhya) and Sita (Dhansika), Dhoni’s newfound love. It’s about the rift between the friends when Sehwag tries to thwart Dhoni’s love affair. The whole episode of the councillor (Devadarshini) falling for Dhoni and making her moves like the comic vamp of the piece, hardly evokes any laughter.

Power Star as usual gets a role that requires him to make a laughing stock of himself. Amusing is Shiva’s take on him.

After Power’s atrocious mimicry of various heroes, Shiva wonders aloud, “Does he do all this (making a fool of himself) knowingly or unknowingly?”

The finale trails to the usual kidnapping and mix-ups. Flat and bland in both its scripting and narration, the film offers nothing exciting for the audience.

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