Adulation can be a double-edged sword. Our cricketers are intimately acquainted with this fact; the same cannot be said of our film stars who time and again fall into the trap of over nurturing their image. More often than not, films made to boost actors’ image have sunk without a trace.
Yuga, with a wafer-thin story that reportedly underwent changes to suit the hero’s image, courts the box office in this manner. This may ultimately affect the film’s prospects.
An orphan grows up on the street and is groomed into a notorious rowdy by a don. The don hopes to turn into a ‘respectable’ citizen. There are umpteen fights, several chases and stunts; ‘realistic’ dialogues -- whether they offend sensibilities or not -- are found dime-a-dozen, to establish the rowdy’s numero uno position, which is resented by others. Events force the rowdy to ‘retire hurt’, paving the way for the heroine’s entry. It is now introspection time for the hero, whether to clean up his act or end up dead by the bullet.
The director, in his maiden venture, tells a story that begs to be spared from overuse. Only action scenes seem to benefit from the director’s eye to detail. But that is before interval. Post-interval sees several twists and some real acting, before an abrupt climax leaves the audience nonplussed.
Mico Nagaraj and Sudha Belawadi make the proceedings seem natural, while debutante Kavya is just adequate. Vijay’s chiselled body and slick moves leave action buffs satisfied, but at the cost of his acting.
