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

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/qDWQI9JPvEhttps://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.