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సమీక్ష : “యశోద” – మెప్పించే ఎమోషనల్ సస్పెన్స్ డ్రామా !

విడుదల తేదీ : నవంబర్ 11, 2022

123తెలుగు.కామ్ రేటింగ్ : 3/5

నటీనటులు: సమంత, వరలక్ష్మి శరత్‌కుమార్, ఉన్ని ముకుందన్, రావు రమేష్, మురళీ శర్మ, సంపత్ రాజ్, శత్రు, మధురిమ, కల్పిక గణేష్, దివ్య శ్రీపాద, ప్రియాంక శర్మ తదితరులు

దర్శకుడు : హరి – హరీష్

నిర్మాత: శివలెంక కృష్ణ ప్రసాద్

సంగీత దర్శకులు: మణి శర్మ

సినిమాటోగ్రఫీ: ఎం. సుకుమార్

ఎడిటర్: మార్తాండ్. కె. వెంకటేష్

సంబంధిత లింక్స్ : ట్రైలర్

సమంత ప్రధాన పాత్రలో వచ్చిన చిత్రం యశోద. హరి హరీష్ దర్శకత్వంలో తెరకెక్కిన ఈ మూవీకి మణిశర్మ సంగీతం అందించారు. నేడు రిలీజ్ అయిన ఈ చిత్రం ప్రేక్షకులను ఏ స్థాయిలో ఆకట్టుకుందో సమీక్షలోకి వెళ్లి తెలుసుకుందాం.

సమంత (యశోద) తన చెల్లి ఆపరేషన్ కోసం సరోగసికి ఒప్పుకుంటుంది. ఆర్ధిక ఇబ్బందులతో ఇబ్బందులు పడుతున్న పేద అమ్మాయిలకు డబ్బు ఆశ చూపించి సరోగసి తల్లిగా మారడానికి మధు (వరలక్ష్మి శరత్ కుమార్ ) అండ్ గౌతమ్ (ఉన్ని ముకుందన్) ఒప్పిస్తారు. ఈ క్రమంలోనే యశోద కూడా బిడ్డను కని ఇవ్వడానికి ఒప్పుకుంటుంది. అయితే, దీని వెనుక ఏదో కుట్ర ఉంది అని యశోదకు అర్థం అవుతుంది. సరోగసి పేరుతో జరుగుతున్న అకృత్యాలు ఏమిటి ? అని తెలుసుకోవడానికి యశోద ఏం చేసింది ?, అసలు యశోద ఎవరు?, ఎందుకు ఇదంతా చేస్తోంది?, చివరకు సరోగసి పేరు మీద జరుగుతున్న అక్రమ వ్యాపారాన్ని ఎలా అరికట్టింది ? అనేది మిగిలిన కథ.

ప్లస్ పాయింట్స్ :

ఈ చిత్రంలో యశోద పాత్ర‌లో నటించిన సమంత తన టెర్రిఫిక్ పెర్ఫార్మెన్స్ తో ఆకట్టుకుంది. తన పాత్రకు తగ్గట్టు వేరియేషన్స్ చూపిస్తూ చాలా బాగా నటించింది. ఫస్ట్ హాఫ్ లో అమాయక యువతిగా.. సెకండ్ హాఫ్ లో అగ్రెసీవ్ బాడీ లాంగ్వేజ్, డామినేట్ చేసే ఆమె యాక్షన్.. ఆమె పాత్రకు ఫర్ఫెక్ట్ గా సరిపోయాయి. పైగా చిన్న చిన్న ఎక్స్ ప్రెషన్స్ తోనే సమంత కొన్ని భావోద్వేగ సన్నివేశాలను చాలా చక్కగా పడించింది.

ఇక విలన్ పాత్రలో కనిపించిన ఉన్ని ముకుందన్ తన పాత్రకు తగ్గట్లే తన లుక్స్ ను తన ఫిజిక్ ను చాలా బాగా మార్చుకున్నాడు. అలాగే మరో ప్రధాన పాత్రలో నటించిన వరలక్ష్మి శరత్ కుమార్ తన నటనతో ఆకట్టుకుంటూ తన పాత్రకు పూర్తి న్యాయం చేస్తూ ఈ చిత్రానికి స్పెషల్ ఎట్రాక్షన్ లా నిలిచింది.

రావు రమేష్, మురళీ శర్మ, సంపత్ రాజ్, శత్రు తమ నటనతో మెప్పించారు. అలాగే మిగిలిన నటీనటులు కూడా తమ పాత్రలకు పూర్తి న్యాయం చేశారు. దర్శకులు హరి – హరీష్ రాసిన ఈ చిత్ర కథ కూడా బాగుంది. సినిమాలోని కొన్ని సంఘటనలు సమాజంలో జరుగుతున్న కొన్ని అక్రమాలను ఎత్తి చూపాయి.

మైనస్ పాయింట్స్ :

వైవిధ్యమైన పాయింట్ తో దర్శకులు హరి – హరీష్ ఈ కథను రాసుకున్నప్పటికీ ఆసక్తికరమైన కథనంతో సినిమాని పూర్తి స్థాయిలో ఇంట్రెస్టింగ్ గా మలచలేకపోయారు. అక్కడక్కడ స్లోగా నడిచే సన్నివేశాలు కారణంగా ఈ సినిమా కొంత స్లో అనిపిస్తోంది. ముఖ్యంగా ఫస్ట్ హాఫ్ లో కొన్ని సీన్స్ బోర్ గా సాగాయి.

పోలీసులు ఇన్విస్టిగేట్ చేసే క్రమం పెరిగే కొద్ది చాలా ఆసక్తికరంగా ఉత్కంఠభరితంగా ఉండాలి. కానీ ఈ చిత్రంలో చాలా తేలికపాటి ఇన్విస్టిగేషన్ తోనే ముగించడం అంతగా రుచించదు. అలాగే చాలా సీన్స్ లాజిక్ లెస్ గా సాగుతాయి. పైగా కొన్ని కీలక సీన్స్ ను చాలా సింపుల్ గా ఎండ్ చేశారు.

సాంకేతిక విభాగం :

  దర్శకులు ఓ మంచి స్టోరీ ఐడియా తీసుకున్నారు గాని, ఆ ఐడియాకు తగ్గట్టు అంతే కొత్తగా ట్రీట్మెంట్ మాత్రం రాసుకోలేదు. సినిమాలో సప్సెన్స్ ఇంట్రస్ట్ పెంచే స్కోప్ ఉన్నప్పటికీ ఫస్ట్ హాఫ్ ని సింపుల్ గా హ్యాండిల్ చేశారు. మ్యూజిక్ విష‌యానికి వ‌స్తే… మణిశర్మ అందించిన సంగీతం బాగుంది. ముఖ్యంగా నేపధ్య సంగీతం చాలా బాగా ఆకట్టుకుంది. సినిమాటోగ్రఫర్ పనితనం బాగుంది. సినిమా మూడ్ కి అనుగుణంగా దృశ్యాలని తెరకెక్కించారు. ఎడిటింగ్ బాగున్నప్పటికీ కథకు అవసరం లేని సీన్స్ ను ట్రీమ్ చేసి ఉంటే బాగుండేది. ఇక సినిమాలోని నిర్మాత పాటించిన ప్రొడక్షన్ వాల్యూస్ కూడా చాలా బాగున్నాయి.

ముందు చెప్పుకున్నట్లు ఓ సోషల్ ఇష్యూకి సంబంధించి చాలా ఇంట్రెస్టింగ్ థీమ్ తీసుకున్నారు. అలాగే ఈ ఫీల్ గుడ్ ఎమోషనల్ డ్రామాలో గుడ్ ఎమోషన్స్, బెటర్ స్క్రిప్ట్, మరియు బెస్ట్ ఫీల్ ఉంది. అలాగే సమంత నటన ఈ సినిమాకే మెయిన్ హైలైట్ గా నిలుస్తోంది. అయితే స్క్రీన్ ప్లే లో స్లో నెరేషన్, కొన్ని సన్నివేశాలు పూర్తి స్థాయిలో ఆకట్టుకునే విధంగా లేకపోవడం వంటి అంశాలు సినిమాకి మైనస్ అయ్యాయి. కానీ, సినిమాలో కంటెంట్ అండ్ ట్రీట్మెంట్ బాగుంది. మొత్తమ్మీద ఈ చిత్రం మెప్పిస్తోంది.

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

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Hirak Buch 439 12 days ago

SAMANTHA is the most versatile actress I have ever seen.

Anita Kumari 16 94 days ago

THIS MOVIE "YASHODA" IS FANTASTIC.ITS TOUCH MY HEART BECAUSE IT SHOW CARE OF HER SISTER.FOR SAVE HER SISTER SHE TAKE RISK OF HER LIFE AND TO LOSS HER BUEATY .

poojarbirudula 28 362 days ago

It’s all about struggles of the economically backward women n how they are exploited by criminals…. Best part this movie also includes sexual abuse at work place …. Which mostly ignored all the movies….. it’s all abt women empowerment Jai hindi best movie I can rate it 1000 start

suhas jinka 262 378 days ago

sooooooo gud enjoyed but ,if some love story or romance included it will be 4 star rating...

B Sai Vamshi 422 days ago

Movie is seen story about a mothers and children affection movie director creativity is different

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In a highly regimented facility housing surrogate mothers, a pregnant woman discovers that things are not as they seem. In a highly regimented facility housing surrogate mothers, a pregnant woman discovers that things are not as they seem. In a highly regimented facility housing surrogate mothers, a pregnant woman discovers that things are not as they seem.

• Harish Narayan
• K. Hari Shankar
• Pulagam Chinnarayana
• Samantha Ruth Prabhu
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• Varalaxmi Sarathkumar
• 65 User reviews
• 6 Critic reviews
• 3 nominations

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• Goofs In one scene Yashoda discusses with other housemates the absence of tracking of time, as if the facility ensures not providing the date or time details to all in-house pregnant ladies, but on her second visit to ultrasound, the doctor shows her imaging monitor which does carry date/time stamp.

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• Runtime 2 hours 15 minutes

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Yashoda movie review: Samantha Ruth Prabhu shines in familiar but engaging thriller

Yashoda movie review: samantha ruth prabhu delivers a knockout performance in the telugu thriller, playing a role that’s hard to guess for the most part. the film released on november 11..

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been very picky when it comes to her female-centric projects. Her choices so far have paid off handsomely with films like U-Turn and Oh! Baby working big time with the audiences. Her latest outing Yashoda, too, falls in the same category, as it offers something new to the viewers and it succeeds to a large extent, despite taking a very familiar route when it comes to some twists. In a refreshing departure from what we’ve seen of her in the recent past, Samantha delivers a knockout performance in Yashoda, playing a role that’s hard to guess for the most part. It’s an earnest performance and she makes even some dull predictable moments watchable with her presence. Also read: Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Telugu film Yashoda earns ₹ 55 crore already, does highest pre-release business of actor's career

Samantha plays Yashoda, and her world revolves around her younger sister. When she desperately needs money for her sister’s operation, she signs up to become a surrogate mother. She’s soon transferred to the high-tech facility called Eva; a company that’s helping people fulfil their dreams of becoming parents through surrogacy. It’s a major change for Yashoda, who slowly starts to make friends inside with some fellow surrogate mothers. Everything is fine at first but things slowly start to spiral out of control, and Yashoda suspects that something suspicious about the place. The local police is also investigating a high profile case of a road accident involving a businessman and a top model. As Yashoda tries to uncover the secrets of Eva, a strange connection is established with the case the police are working on. The rest of the story is about what’s Eva actually doing in the name of surrogacy?

Yashoda takes time to actually take off and get the audience invested. It has some very interesting stretches as it openly talks about making surrogacy mainstream and the attempt deserves to be praised. At the same time, it also talks about how we as humans are abusing medical advancement for our own greed. Somewhere, Yashoda tries to walk a tightrope in trying to establish the fact that surrogacy can both be a boon as well as bane. The film’s central premise is very interesting and it’s rarely explored before. This is exactly what makes Yashoda standout, and probably made even Samantha sign the project. The grouse comes in the form of the plot twist which has been tried many times before. It’s not about the familiarity of the plot twist but it’s so generic that it lacks excitement.

Nevertheless, it’s Samantha’s show all the way. The way she handles her character and the eventual transformation is proof of her ability to go the extra mile to make her performance look authentic. Both Unni Mukundan and Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar get very interesting parts and it’s quite bold of both of them to play such characters without much fuss. The production design deserves a special mention since most of the story unfolds inside a large facility and the setwork is commendable.

• Samantha Ruth Prabhu

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'Yashoda' movie review: The ideas are there, but the execution isn’t

I feel compelled to be kinder towards films that feature women protagonists. We don’t get enough of them, and it’s empowering and cathartic to see women kick a**. Samantha is at the centre of Yashoda and plays a character straight out of the hero playbook. There are fight sequences, there’s a rousing reveal, there’s sister sentiment, there’s a leader angle… And yet, it’s not a protagonist a man could have played.

For one, pregnancy is at the thick of things, and it adds flavour that the protagonist, Yashoda, is going through it herself, as she uncovers a horrific conspiracy that exploits women victims. At the end, in fact, there’s something about these women joining to fight back—but it’s just cursory symbolism, with no one except Samantha’s Yashoda ever doing much to help themselves. However, it’s still fascinating to behold the joys of ‘testosterone cinema’ playing out with a heroine, instead of a hero. The action blocks are perhaps the brightest point of Yashoda.

It’s a film with many curious ideas. There’s the exploration of surrogacy and a half-hearted attempt to capture the lives of consenting women. There’s a medical facility—no, a high-tech prison—complete with regular audio announcements of the schedule of patients—no, “inmates”. There’s a fascinating idea about the lengths a woman goes to, to preserve her beauty, and some commentary about what ‘real beauty’ is. There’s even some espionage. And yet, it’s impossible to shake off the realisation that Yashoda should have been a far, far superior film, given the weight of these ideas. A big problem is how unconvincingly these ideas are fleshed out. For instance, Yashoda is shown to forge a deep bond with other inmates, but it happens over unconvincing bits-and-pieces of flaky camaraderie. For the longest time, the screenplay feels disjointed with two separate tracks, with the second, especially—about cops played by Murali Sharma and Sampath, investigating a murder—lacking any real purpose and charm, serving only to distract from the events featuring Samantha.

The big horrific reveals in the second half don’t affect as they should, even if the film does get marginally more interesting when the Madhubala (Varalaxmi) flashback plays out. But even here, pay attention to how a beauty pageant is weakly conceived and executed, and how Madhubala’s character gets introduced, as she throws a stray line about us seeking beauty in even deities. The brightest point in this flashback is when Varalaxmi’s Madhubala, Rao Ramesh’s politician (the actor is a hoot, as always), and Unni Mukundan’s nerd-stalker have a three-way conflict—and the bizarre, exaggerated way in which it plays out results in some campy fun.

While the film is about surrogacy and how women are exploited, its portrayal of certain types of women is rather revealing. Let’s leave aside the bad choice to have Samantha look as made-up for a role that’s supposed to be grounded, even if not thoroughly impoverished. There’s an early scene between Yashoda and her friends, as each woman reveals their reason for agreeing to be a surrogate mother.

While many talk of poverty and suffering, one woman—with short, coloured hair and a rather ‘modern’ demeanour—speaks of wanting to afford an iPhone. I thought, “Fair enough, it’s your body, your rules.” Well, a twist in the film betrays its view about such women—and let’s say it’s not exactly progressive. Pay close attention to the ‘good woman’ in this film, Yashoda’s friend, and you’ll see that she’s all dressed up as a traditional woman, with long-plaited hair, bindi.

There’s a queer character in the film, the head of a fashion brand, and the film doesn’t do itself any favours with how it portrays this person either. The villain is one who gets an abortion and doesn’t become a ‘mother’. All of this made me wonder whether Yashoda is conceived as a film meant to valourise pregnancies, meant to reaffirm the dated idea that it’s motherhood that makes a woman. An end scene of childbirth, another previous scene of a woman sharing a story about her husband’s inability to produce a child… All of this makes you wonder.

And of course, when a film and its protagonist are named Yashoda—the foster mother of Krishna—the significance is rather straightforward. And yet, this film, more than once, drums in this idea, even referencing Krishna’s birth at one point. It doesn’t seem to think you’ll get it otherwise. Perhaps if Yashoda had respected us better, we might have ended up with a more nuanced take on the subject of surrogacy and a film that might perhaps have been more deserving of Samantha’s action exploits.

Director: Hari-Harish Cast: Samantha, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma Rating: 2.5/5

(This review originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com )

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'Yashoda' review: Samantha shatters stereotypes to shine in this thriller

'Yashoda' is an ode to motherhood

Yashoda is an important milestone in Samantha’s journey to become south India’s female superstar.

Simply put, Samantha rises above the regular commercial trappings of an actress to deliver a clincher. When you leave the theatre you cannot recollect any scenes of the actress grooving to catchy songs or watching mushy scenes of her with a male actor. The hero of the movie is Samantha—the mother.

The plot starts with Samantha embracing motherhood, fighting off villains while pregnant and mouthing dialogues that intend to question why can't women be as brave as men. In one particular scene, Yashoda assures fellow pregnant women that she is like the Hindu epic character Yashoda (foster mother to Lord Krishna) and like her, will protect their unborn children. The glorified and emotional scenes elevate the screen persona of Samantha while striking a chord with the audience.

Yashoda, for the lure of money, agrees to become a surrogate mother. Through an organised system, she is transported to a facility with the latest and most sophisticated infrastructure. There, she mingles with four other participants and forms a bond with them. The facility called Eva is run by Dr Madhu (Varalaxmi) who has laid down rules and regulations for the surrogate mothers to deliver healthy babies to her clients. The surrogate mothers are expected to follow a regime as per instructions provided to them.

One can't help but notice that filmmakers might have been under the influence of squid games while designing the sets or filming scenes here. There is a parallel track unfolding. A supermodel and her boyfriend—a business heir—are killed in an accident. A police team investigating the deaths concludes that it was a planned murder masked as accidental death. The investigation leads them to a beauty product and its manufacturers who are linked to a beauty manufacturer. Murali Sharma as police commissioner keeps a close watch on the investigation but later ends up as an important link in the entire case. Before the interval, Yashoda grows suspicious about her missing friends who disappear into restricted zones of the facility immediately after developing complications. To investigate, she wades deeper into the dangerous terrain.

Unni Mukundan is one of the doctors at the facility who seems to have his eyes fixated on Yashoda. Only post-interval, the two plots running parallel converge to unveil a dangerous crime that goes beyond surrogacy and Yashoda’s role has a suspense element to it. Samantha performs action sequences with ease and they turn out to be one of the highlights of the movie.

Directors Hari and Harish came out with a gripping movie that keeps the interest of the audience intact. It is Samantha’s show all the way as she outperforms herself and continues to prove a point with women-oriented movies. Motherhood transcends languages and so does Samantha’s charisma in this multilingual film

Movie: Yashoda

Cast: Samantha, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Unni Mukundan, Murali Sharma

Director: Hareesh Narayan, K. Hari Shankar

Rating: 4/5

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• Home » Movies » Yashoda Movie Review

Yashoda review: A gritty, engaging tale of surrogacy with high-octane stunts by Samantha

A fast-paced screenplay, a tight script, hard-hitting dialogues, some amazing artwork, and an enchanting BGM make it a must-watch.

Published:Nov 11, 2022

Samantha's latest release 'Yashoda' is an engaging watch. (SrideviMovieOff/Twitter)

Samantha delivers her career's best performance!

Yashoda (Telugu)

• Cast: Samantha, Unni Mukundan and Varalaxmi Sarath Kumar
• Director: Hari Shankar & Harish Narayana
• Producer: Sivalenka Krishna Prasad
• Music: Mani Sarma
• Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi, and Revathy
• Director: Maneesh Sharma
• Producer: Aditya Chopra
• Music: Pritam Chakraborty
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s much-awaited movie Yashoda is finally in theatres this Friday, 11 November. It managed to garner and create good hype in the Indian film circles.

And the film has lived up to the expectations it created!

Directed by Hari and Harish Narayan, Yashoda is produced by Sivalenka Krishna Prasad. It casts Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Unni Mukundan in key roles.

The flick opens with an accident where one of the country’s leading models, Aarushi, dies. The cops stay busy investigating the reason behind the accident. Soon, they conclude that it was a premeditated murder.

Parallel to this plot runs another story: Yashoda (Samantha) becomes a surrogate and enters a surrogacy facility.

She makes friends with other pregnant women, and soon realises that something sinister is going on at the surrogacy centre.

A story with a difference

Soon, Yashoda and her fellow surrogate mothers start feeling like jailbirds; they cannot step out of the medical facility until their delivery.

Interestingly, nobody has a clue as to what happens after the surrogates enter the operation theatre for delivery. Also, they are not allowed even a glimpse of their babies.

As an inquisitive Yashoda starts digging deeper into the secrets, she realises that there’s more to the surrogacy centre than meets the eye.

However, in the process, she gets caught by Madhu (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) and Gowtham (Unni Mukundan), the masterminds behind the facility.

Gowtham works as a doctor at the facility, while Madhu takes care of the well-being of the pregnant women.

Yashoda enters the medical facility, but not to be a surrogate mother. What her real motive is and who is helping her from the outside is something worth watching on the big screen.

This time, more than ever, I was hoping and praying for all your support in promoting the film. The affection you have showered on me & Yashoda in the run up to the release is humbling. Forever grateful to all of you. You are my family❤️ Truly hope you enjoy the film. Thank you🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/O8rbC4cYU4 — Samantha (@Samanthaprabhu2) November 11, 2022

Samantha is the lifeline

Coming to the performances, Samantha is the true hero of the film. Once again, she proves to be one of the most bankable actors among the current lot.

In the web series The Family Man , Samantha turned heads with her kickass action sequences and stunts. But in Yashoda , she takes it to the next level. The high-octane stunts pump up the adrenaline rush.

Also, she tugs at our heartstrings with her nuances and emotions, proving yet again why she is the most sought-after actor in the industry. This is certainly her career’s best performance.

Varalaxmi Sarathmkumar is seen as someone obsessed with beauty. She appears so calm that we don’t see a storm coming.

Unni Mukundan plays a good boy in the beginning, but reveals his true colours as Gowtham as the momentum picks up.

Other artists like Kalpika and Divya Sripada are great, too.

. @Samanthaprabhu2 ‘s new-age Action thriller #Yashoda gets Thumping Response in Theatres💥 Book Your Tickets 🎟️ https://t.co/qDWQI9JPvE https://t.co/bdsqzgwCYi #YashodaInCinemas @varusarath5 @Iamunnimukundan @harishankaroffi @hareeshnarayan @krishnasivalenk @SrideviMovieOff pic.twitter.com/ppfi287lnu — Sridevi Movies (@SrideviMovieOff) November 11, 2022

Kudos to Hari-Harish duo

The credit for Yashoda goes to none other than Samantha and the director duo Hari-Harish.

The directors truly deserve applause for making a film with such a fast-paced screenplay and tight script. It is hard for anyone to pick up faults in the story.

Though the movie has been made based on facts, added elements like the emotional drama make it an engaging and entertaining watch.

Pulagam Chinnarayana and Bhagyalakshmi Challa did a great job with the dialogues.

Art director Ashok needs a special mention for building a surrogate facility that looks nothing less than a luxurious, corporate hospital.

Producer Krishna Prasad splurged on the film to make sure it turned out to be the best.

The background music by Mani Sharma elevates every scene. Action scenes by Yanick Ben and Venkat give us an adrenaline rush.

Blockbuster #Yashoda 🔥 Our team at #Sudarshan35 with the super hit director duo 🥳 @harishankaroffi and @hareeshnarayan garu @Samanthaprabhu2 #YashodaTheMovie pic.twitter.com/GeEYpmRCPk — Yashoda From Nov11 (@SamanthaPrabuFC) November 11, 2022

An edge-of-the-seat experience

Yashoda brings you to the edge of your seat. The first half hour of the film is all about parallel plots. Soon, an interesting and unpredictable story arises, with unexpected twists and turns.

Slowly, the other side of the surrogacy world is revealed: the medical mafia and what surrogacy can do to a woman who is in a financial crisis.

The movie also sheds light on the ways the rich exploit the poor.

On the whole, Yashoda is a gritty and engaging tale of surrogacy that one shouldn’t miss.

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Yashoda Reviews

This is not a film strong on logic. Even the simplest question would make the screenplay collapse like a house of cards. But the various twists and turns, which frequently border on outlandish, are held together by the formidable presence of Samantha.

Full Review | Nov 15, 2022

Yashoda REVIEW: Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer is a one-woman show with new concept and engaging twists

Gretel Sequeira

• November 11, 2022
• Comments off

Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer Yashoda movie REVIEW

• Bubble Reviews
• Yashoda REVIEW: Samantha Ruth ...

Film: Yashoda

Directed by: Hari-Harish

Star Cast: Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and Murali Sharma

Bollywood Bubble ratings:  3/5 stars

Yashoda Movie Review 

Going to Indian mythology, we all are well aware of how Yashoda cared for Lord Krishna dearly, despite being a foster mother. And, tales about her only speak of how she was all about her love, affection, and caring like a mother to Lord Krishna. Coming to reel life, the Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer Yashoda stays true to its name and is a one-woman show. While Samantha impresses with her stellar performance, she struggles, fights, and faces challenges while being pregnant and protecting her child. However, even with a new concept, plot twists, and turns, Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Yashoda was an engaging watch but came with its flaws.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Samantha (@samantharuthprabhuoffl)

The movie opens with Samantha as Yashoda seated with a doctor, all set to be a surrogate mother. It is thorough in the beginning how surrogacy was the sole option to Yashoda (Samantha) when it came to protecting a loved one. Despite her pregnancy complications, Yashoda is hell-bent on being a surrogate in exchange for money, to support her sister’s treatment.

Eventually, Yashoda agrees to be a surrogate and is moved to a healthcare facility for surrogate mothers. As she begins to understand the facility and its workings, Yashoda learns about illegal activities at the facility. In a quest to bring the perpetrators to justice, pregnant Yashoda takes us through how she discovers the shocking truths about the facility and its functioning.

While the Hari-Harish directorial is filled with twists and turns, the first half of the movie is gripping. However, after the interval, one tends to lose the sense of the movie, trying to find the logic behind how a pregnant woman can jump off a table and perform high-octane stunts. Well, even if one goes with the fact that “ Maa, Maa hoti hai (A mother is a mother) “, I could not find any sense in it. It’s not practical and sane for a pregnant woman to perform high-octane stunts as it would clearly affect her baby.

Anyways, moving forward! Even though the director brings in an entirely intriguing screenplay with a new concept, it fails to reach its mark. The second half gets rather interesting towards the end, but again, the narrative falls short of the bang-on climax we’d all expect with a plot like that of Yashoda.

Yashoda revolves around a young woman of the same name, played by Samantha, who decides to become a surrogate in exchange for money. She is moved to a surrogacy facility named Eva, owned by Madhu (Varalakshmi Sarath Kumar). While everything goes well for Yashoda, an incident at the center harnesses doubt in her mind. This doubt further leads to Yashoda trying to unravel the truth behind the surrogacy mafia.

Star Performances

Samantha Ruth Prabhu plays the titular role in this movie. The actress leaves you mesmerized with her action sequences and her faultless performance. She emerges as a star in the film. And, Samantha gets as good as one can be as she performs some high-octane action stunts.

Unni Mukundan, playing the role of the scientist at the surrogacy facility shines throughout. The actor manages to prove his acting prowess with his stunning performance.

Varalakshmi Sarath Kumar, who plays Madhu is impressive to watch. She does a decent job with her character.

Direction/Screenplay

Hari-Harish fairs well with the execution of the screenplay. However, the plot has a few loose ends that go unnoticed. And, with these loose ends, one might clearly be left unimpressed. I was! While the director brings forward a new concept, at some points, the movie fails in terms of logic. For example, Samantha easily escaping through cameras, or be it the portrayal of a pregnant woman performing action stunts, or Madhu’s backstory; it all literally does not make sense.

Overall, the director does a fair job with Yashoda. While the performances by Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Unni Mukundan shine throughout the movie, the interesting twists and turns will keep you hooked on to your seat. Despite the flaws, Yashoda is a decent watch. And, I recommend watching it in theatres for that ‘edge-of-the-seat’ thriller experience.

Watch Yashoda trailer, after the review:

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Also Read : Yashoda Twitter Review: Netizens hail Samantha Ruth Prabhu starrer, heap praise on actress’ action-packed performance

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Yashoda movie review: Samantha Ruth Prabhu shines, but she cannot hide the flaws in this thriller

Samantha is brilliant in Yashoda that falters in effectively landing its shocking twists and turns.

Language: Tamil, and Telugu

Cast: Samantha, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Unni Mukundan, Murali Sharma, Sampath

Director: Hari-Harish

Since the morning of the release of Yashoda , I have seen multiple reports that claim that a lot rides on Yashoda for actor Samantha who plays the lead in this film. To be honest, the actor has proved time and again that her performance will stand the test of time, and it is then not fair to encapsulate all of an actor in one project. Yashoda is not a film that would receive rapturous attention from the audience, and neither is it a dud. It is a promising premise aided by great performances of its lead cast.

What it does suffer from is lack of bringing its vision from paper onto screen. Without going too much into the details of the film’s plot, which is a thriller that you must experience as an audience, what I can tell you is that there is all signs of making a great film in Yashoda ’s first half. It sets up the characters, their lives and their ordeals. For instance, why does Samantha as Yashoda interested in being a surrogate? Who is Madhubala (Varalaxmi), and what is the truth about her identity and so on.

So where exactly does it falter? It begins to misstep the moment the film begins to hide behind Yashoda. Instead of packing up the plot, and fleshing out the arc enough to aid the punches that the film hopes to land, the main hope for the film is Yashoda’s antics. How she gets close to other surrogates, how she befriends people in the clinic that she goes to are hyperfocussed. Most of the times, the why becomes an afterthought.

It is also this nuanced look at delivering twists that is missing from the film. For instance, does a twist land the punch, and leave audiences gasping? Or does it leave them mildly interested? They could also be left clueless if the said punches didn’t land. Where you can place Yashoda in this scale is smack in the middle. They are clear about the twist that they want to introduce and it is smart. However, the way they introduce it and way these particular scenes are written do not do much for the plot progression.

It is not so much that you see what is coming because the twists are cliched and borrowed from stereotypes. If anything, some of the most interesting things about the film apart from its premise is its twists. It is unfortunate that they do not have space to breathe and take shape of their own. The punch is required to make a good shocking twist in a thriller effectual is what is missing from the film.

Considering that the film is a thriller, it is important to pay attention to the pace of the film. At times, this also suffers because of humour that is not seamless. The humour in this film, which on second thought feels unintentional, is jarring and ends up leaving us disconnected from the seriousness of the plot. In fact, the dependency on Yashoda’s act throughout the film goes overboard, has the same effect. Because it was so obviously out of place, it threw me as a viewer out of the story momentarily.

This in turn affected how engrossing the film could have been. Such disturbances occur not partially, but often throughout the story. The onus is then on the viewers to stay with the characters. I am then forced to pay attention as opposed to me being instinctively engrossed in the film. This is, in fact, my biggest complaint abut Yashoda . The fact that the thriller gave me the time and space to let my wander. Throughout it all, my attention did stay on one thing, or I must say, one person and that is Samantha.

She lights up the screen in ways few actors are capable of today, and she does so with so much enthusiasm and affection for the camera that one cannot help but be attracted towards her character on screen.

To conclude, Yashoda as a film is a great example of how a film could be interesting, entertaining, and yet flawed to the point of contention.

Rating: 2.75 (out of 5)

Yashoda is playing in cinemas

Priyanka Sundar is a film journalist who covers films and series of different languages with a special focus on identity and gender politics.

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Yashoda Movie Review

Article by Suman M Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 11:14 am, 11 November 2022

2 Hr 15 Mins   |   Thriller   |   11-11-2022

Cast - Samantha, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Unni Mukundan, Rao Ramesh and others

Director - Hareesh, Hari

Producer - Sivalenka Krishna Prasad

Banner - Sridevi Movies

Music - Mani Sharma

Samantha has so evolved as a performer, where her name has become a selling point along with the other aspects of a film. Samantha is coming with a film Yashoda, where she plays the lead role. The trailer was intriguing and hinted at conspiracy around the concept of surrogacy. The movie was released today in theaters. Check out the review.

What Is It About?

Yashoda (Samantha) a food delivery girl agrees to become a surrogate mother for a large sum of money. She will be sent to a highly sophisticated surrogate facility owned by Madhubala (Varalakshmi Sarathkumar). Yashoda learns that something is not right at the facility and she gets shocked seeing gruesome incidents happening there. On the other side, there is an active murder investigation of a business tycoon that leads to a stunning end. How is it linked to Yashoda’s story and what she does thereafter form the rest of the story.

Performances

Samantha gave an apt performance in the role of Yashoda. This role is a cakewalk for her, yet the effort she put into crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘I’s could be seen in this dual-shaded role. This time she had to do the action part also and she has done it effortlessly. 

Varalakshmi Sarathkumar appears as a dangerous woman in a cold blood. Most of her roles were aggressive and yelling types, but In Yashoda she had to be subtle yet ruthless. She did quite well. Unni Mukundan supported her well. Sampath Raj, Murli Sharma, and others were alright in their respective roles. Kalpika, Divya Sripada, and others will be seen in brief roles. 

Technicalities

The storyline of Yashoda is interesting. For the concept, the movie hardly needed outdoor shots. Most of the sets looked fine while some shots in the facility appear to be heavily inspired by Hollywood sci-fi thrillers. The concept of confining the inmates with illusion walls is an unusual setup. The screenplay is good. Background music by Manisharma is alright. 

Samantha Fresh Plot

Thumbs Down

Slow First Half Predictable episodes Routine Climax

Analysis  

There were many movies based on the concept of surrogacy earlier. This plot of Yashoda is a plot developed from real investigative research that is untouched in films so far. A woman in need of money agrees to be a surrogate mother for an unknown billionaire and reaches a state-of-the-art facility for the same. Smelling a conspiracy, she digs deeper to unturn the dark truths only to find a giant mafia. 

The first half of Yashoda is slow with the setup in the surrogacy facility, with friends and character establishment. But it gets interesting as the narrative gets into the plot a little deeper toward the interval block. The pre-interval to interval sequences are rightly done promising an intriguing second half. The plot could be sensed on whole, but the details remain blurred until the revelations slowly turn up

The second half is more gripping and intriguing with each twist and turn. From Madhu’s flashback to the establishment of the murder investigation link, there are some good twists that turned out well. The concept of narrating two parallel stories back and forth without disclosing a link between them and that too until the latter second half is adventurous. If one side derails, there is a chance that by the time the link is established, the narration might have looked bumpy. That balance and suspense link between the two sides is maintained well by the director duo. 

On the downside, a perverted security guard, a highly monitored facility with umpteen blindspots, and a spine-chilling mafia setup with opened exit doors are some routine cinematic liberties that could have been worked differently. The emotional blocks in the pre-climax are too conventional. 

The thrill factor worked mostly while the emotional episodes are cliched. The climax is obvious with some routine action blocks. Overall, Yashoda is a decent thriller with a few stereotyped scenes. 

Bottomline: Decent Thriller With Suspense Elements !

Rating: 2.75/5

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Yashoda Movie Review: Samantha Shines As An Action Star In This Surrogacy Thriller

Yashoda is a 2022 Indian Telugu-language action thriller movie. Hari-Harish wrote the script and directed the film. Samantha Ruth Prabhu is in the lead role along with Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Murali Sharma, and Unni Mukundan. The movie was out on November 11, 2022. The concept, performances, storyline twists, and directing of the movie are top-notch.

Yashoda Story

Yashoda, played by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, is a woman in need of money desperately. She consents to be a surrogate for a billionaire to save the health of her sick sister. They then transfer her from the slums to Eva, a luxurious facility, where the owner, Madhu and Doctor Gowtam look after her.

However, inside the facility, unusual behavior and disappearances likely start. Yashoda begins to realize that nothing is as it seems to be. She becomes aware of unlawful surrogacy activities and embarks on a mission to punish those responsible.

Yashoda Movie Review

In Telugu cinema, the idea of surrogacy was never in combination with the sci-fi and thriller genres. Samantha Ruth Prabhu, one of the highest-paid South Indian actresses , is the film’s main star, and directors K. Hari Shankar and Hareesh Narayan rely heavily on her. The beginning of “Yashoda” is full of comic scenes that frequently look silly. The plot occasionally looks lengthy. The film also devotes a lot of time to letting the audience get to know the characters. Samantha Ruth Prabhu makes every effort to easily balance both funny and serious scenes. There are some intriguing moments, such as the death of a Hollywood celebrity and a model, but the plot is poorly connected overall. Yashoda’s second half becomes fascinating.

The mystery begins to come into focus, the cast receives more substantial roles, and the film tries to pull you back in. Samantha’s sequences are the only ones that will keep you glued to the screen since Yashoda eventually becomes too obvious. You get chills listening to Mani Sharma’s ambient music, which acts as an eerie element. In “Yashoda,” Samantha Ruth Prabhu proves once more why she is a powerful actor in addition to being a star. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar also admires Madhu in the movie and keeps improving with each new project. Moreover, the doctor, Unni Mukundan, also makes a good impression. The way the movie “Yashoda” was shot has to be the most notable aspect of it.

Final Verdict

Yashoda is a fusion of action and relationship drama. It speaks to the emotional link between a surrogate mother and the kid and sibling relationships. Yashoda has a fascinating backdrop and is a good movie to watch this weekend. The producers did everything possible to actively promote the movie, which generated a lot of hype. Additionally, it tries to present a new story while combining incredible sci-fi sequences with action. Samantha Ruth Prabhu carries all of the movie’s weight. The only reason to see Yashoda in a theatre is to see Samantha Ruth Prabhu. We give the film 3.5 stars out of 5.

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Yashoda Movie Review: The ideas are there, but the execution isn’t

Rating: ( 2.5 / 5).

I feel compelled to be kinder towards films that feature women protagonists. We don’t get enough of them, and it’s empowering and cathartic to see women kick a**. Samantha is at the centre of Yashoda and plays a character straight out of the hero playbook. There are fight sequences, there’s a rousing reveal, there’s sister sentiment, there’s a leader angle… And yet, it’s not a protagonist a man could have played. For one, pregnancy is at the thick of things, and it adds flavour that the protagonist, Yashoda , is going through it herself, as she uncovers a horrific conspiracy that exploits women victims. At the end, in fact, there’s something about these women joining to fight back—but it's just cursory symbolism, with no one except Samantha’s Yashoda ever doing much to help themselves. However, it’s still fascinating to behold the joys of ‘testosterone cinema’ playing out with a heroine, instead of a hero—and it helps that Samantha sells the action choreography really well. There’s genuine urgency about her movement, there’s a method to her fighting, and when adversaries collapse around her, you buy that they have been outfought. The action blocks are perhaps the brightest point of Yashoda .

Director: Hari-Harish

Cast: Samantha, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Rao Ramesh, Murali Sharma

It's a film with many curious ideas. There’s the exploration of surrogacy and a half-hearted attempt to capture the lives of consenting women. There’s a medical facility—no, a high-tech prison—complete with regular audio announcements of the schedule of patients—no, “inmates”. The whole design of the place reminded me of Black Mirror . There’s a fascinating idea about the lengths a woman goes to, to preserve her beauty, and some commentary about what ‘real beauty’ is. There’s even some espionage and sleuthing. And yet, it’s impossible to shake off the realisation that Yashoda should have been a far, far superior film, given the weight of these ideas. A big problem is how unconvincingly these ideas are fleshed out. For instance, Yashoda is shown to forge a deep bond with other inmates, but it happens over unconvincing bits-and-pieces of flaky camaraderie. For the longest time, the screenplay feels disjointed with two separate tracks, with the second, especially—about cops played by Murali Sharma and Sampath, investigating a murder—lacking any real purpose and charm, serving only to distract from the events featuring Samantha.

The big horrific reveals in the second half don’t affect as they should, even if the film does get marginally more interesting when the Madhubala (Varalaxmi) flashback plays out. But even here, pay attention to how a beauty pageant is weakly conceived and executed, and how Madhubala’s character gets introduced, as she throws a stray line about us seeking beauty in even deities. The brightest point in this flashback is when Varalaxmi’s Madhubala, Rao Ramesh’s politician (the actor is a hoot, as always), and Unni Mukundan’s nerd-stalker have a three-way conflict—and the bizarre, exaggerated way in which it plays out results in some campy fun.

While the film—on the surface—is about surrogacy and how women are exploited (a rather nuanced topic a simplistic film like this doesn’t have the stomach for), its portrayal of certain types of women is rather revealing, I think. Let’s leave aside the bad choice to have Samantha look as made-up for a role that’s supposed to be grounded, even if not thoroughly impoverished. There’s an early scene between Yashoda and her friends, as each woman reveals their reason for agreeing to be a surrogate mother. While many talk of poverty and suffering, one woman—with short, coloured hair and a rather ‘modern’ demeanour—speaks of wanting to afford an iPhone. I thought, “Fair enough, it’s your body, your rules.” Well, a twist in the film betrays its view about such women—and let’s say it’s not exactly progressive. Pay close attention to the ‘good woman’ in this film, Yashoda’s friend, and you’ll see that she’s all dressed up as a traditional woman, with long-plaited hair, bindi... You get the idea. There’s a queer character in the film, the head of a fashion brand, and the film doesn’t do itself any favours with how it portrays this person either. The villain—Madhubala—is one who gets an abortion and doesn’t become a ‘mother’. All of this made me wonder whether Yashoda is conceived as a film meant to valourise pregnancies, meant to reaffirm the dated idea that it’s motherhood that makes a woman. An end scene of childbirth, another previous scene of a woman sharing a story about her husband’s inability to produce a child… All of this makes you wonder.

And of course, when a film and its protagonist are named Yashoda —the foster mother of Krishna—the significance is rather straightforward. And yet, this film, more than once, drums in this idea, even referencing Krishna’s birth at one point. It doesn’t seem to think you’ll get it otherwise. Perhaps if Yashoda had respected us better, we might have ended up with a more nuanced take on the subject of surrogacy and a film that might perhaps have been more deserving of Samantha’s action exploits.

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Yashoda Movie Review - An Engaging Thriller That Surprises Big Time

Rating: 3.5/5, more movie details: yashoda.

Posted On: 14 Nov 2022 01:50:08 pm IST | By Bharani SMS

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