‘Yashoda’ movie review: Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s spirited performance props up this thriller drama

When Yashoda (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) asks if a courageous person necessarily denotes a man, the cinema hall erupts in cheers. It is one of the moments that blurs the distinction between Samantha the actor and the star and directors Hari and Harish use it to good effect. Samantha comes up with a fine performance and keeps us invested in a story that blends emotional drama with slick action. Surrogacy is one aspect of this science fiction thriller, built on true incidents. The payoffs could have been better, but this is an interesting film that tries to do something new.

At a hospital in the vicinity of a lower middle class settlement, we first see a teary-eyed Yashoda gazing at a poster of an infant. She has opted to be a surrogate mother to tide over a financial necessity and agrees to be transferred to a surrogacy facility, as per the agreement, for the rest of her journey. The warm hues of the basti make way for cooler tones of the plush hospital she finds herself in. 

Parallely, Yashoda’s journey is juxtaposed by mysterious deaths of a Hollywood actress and an aspiring Miss India contestant, which puts the cops in a spot.

A large part of the drama unfolds in the luxury hospital facility managed by Madhu (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar). Art director Ashok builds a make-believe world that is aesthetic yet eerie. Yashoda adapts to the place with bewilderment, playfulness and stubbornness, gradually befriending other women who inhabit the place. She also forms a bond with the only doctor in the facility, Gautam (Unni Mukundan). Then, when something sinister happens, Yashoda decides to get to the bottom of the puzzle.

The directors sprinkle the narrative with plenty of clues, seemingly casual at first, but which eventually construct the big picture necessary for the thriller. For instance, Yashoda’s routine of sticking her bindi on a mirror — a habit with many women — has been used smartly in this story. 

Other women in the hospital, played by Divya Sripada and Kalpika Ganesh among others, are bound by the common fact that they opt to be surrogate mothers for financial necessity. Yet, they are distinct characters; one is calm and patient while another has a tomboy-ish attitude. Divya and Kalpika are impressive in their brief parts.

The story goes full throttle when Yashoda shifts into an investigating mode. The transition to the action thriller is smooth. In one of the first fights that Yashoda is engaged in, it is her survival instinct that kicks in; she takes on her opponent with anything she finds in a room. Her fights are with men and women and she also has to outrun an animal. Though it is not tough to guess what Yashoda might find about her missing friends, when it actually unfolds, it is disturbing and does not make for an easy watch.

The story tries to address whether surrogate mothers can have an emotional attachment with the child that is growing within them. However, surrogacy is only a part of the scam this story deals with. Much of the science fiction revealed in the second half comes across as bizarre, though dramatised from true incidents, partly because of the unidimensional and stereotyped characterisations surrounding the idea of beauty and women. The stark distinction between black and white characters, with no room for grey, makes it a lopsided drama.

In the parallel universe, the police (Murali Sharma, Sampath Raj and Shatru play key characters and do not disappoint) find hurdles at every turn. One of the double-faced characters is not hard to guess, but other reveals hold interest.

A key factor that makes a thriller work is that the clues that are hiding in plain sight need to make sense when you look back; Yashoda gets some of it right. There are loose ends as well.

The film rests on the shoulders of Samantha who plays Yashoda with both tenderness and tenacity; the action sequences are right up her alley and she is convincing. Varalaxmi plays her part with a casual ease but her characterisation could have been a lot more intriguing. Unni Mukundan is convincing in the significant character that takes the story forward. Sukumar’s cinematography and Mani Sharma’s score add to the mood of the thriller.

Had Yashoda avoided a few unidimensional characterisations and tied up the loose ends better, it would have been a riveting thriller. But despite the missteps, it manages to be engaging.