Film- Yaakkai
Director- Kulandai Velappan
Cast- Krishna,Swathi, Prakashraj,Guru Somasundaram, Radharavi.
His debut film ‘Aanmai Thavarel' was a fairly engaging action thriller that centred on human trafficking. And now Velappan ventures into the medical scenario and explores the unscrupulous practices indulged in by some hospitals and pharmaceutical companies for financial gain. The plot is an old oft-told one. It's the scripting and the treatment that could have infused it with an amount of freshness and novelty. But an insipid screenplay and weakly fleshed out characters ensure that boredom sets in midway through the narration.
The film opens with Krishnamurthy an eminent doctor (Radharavi) found murdered. Sahayam the investigating cop steps in to solve the mystery. The dead man's son Sriram arrives from the U.S., not hiding his angst against his dead father for failing to fall in line with some of his schemes. With the men close to the doctor either missing or found dead, the cop tries to piece together the bits of the puzzle.
The plot travels simultaneously in two tracks, apparently unconnected. One, where the investigation is depicted the other the love-story between Kathir and Kavitha a school teacher. The director has attempted to adopt a different narrative style here, but it only backfires. And, as the story progresses the investigation which was the more interesting of the two tracks, is sidelined for long moments.
The love affair takes over, monotonous, boring and insipidly etched. And, when the tracks do converge at the end, it’s jerky and most unconvincing. The narration picks up speed towards the closing moments with melodrama seeping in. But by then one has already lost interest in the story of the dead doctor and his mysterious killer.
As for the performances, it is disappointing. Sahayam essayed by Prakashraj, seems disinterested and bored with the whole scenario. The actor seems to have lost interest in the proceedings, probably realising that the character which had begun on a strong note was being treated more as an extended guest appearance as the story unfolded.
Guru Somasundram is a total miscast. As Sriram the bad boy with angst against his father, he is inconsistent and far removed from his assured performance as in 'Joker'. Unsure of how to essay a role that is weakly etched, the actor is loud and dramatic in his take on Sriram. Of about 127 minutes of viewing time, 'Yaakkai' is a monotonous journey, unexciting and uninteresting.