Yaman movie review: Decent political drama that only works in parts
Director: Jeeva Shankar
Cast: Vijay Antony, Miya George, Thiagarajan, Arul D Shankar
The film opens in the 80s with Arivudai Nambi’s (Vijay Antony) wife Akalya (Shilpa) giving birth to a male baby. The couple had an inter-caste marriage much against the wishes of their families. The same day Nambi is killed by his brother-in-law Kathiresan (Muthukumar) and his relative Thangapandian (Arul D Shankar). Akalya consumes poison and dies. The newborn is given a name Tamizharasan and a nickname Yaman as both his parents are deceased soon after his birth.
Cut to present, Tamizharasan (Vijay Antony) is a grownup youth who is calculative and nurtures political ambition. He goes to jail in place of someone else, as the culprit is ready to pay him hefty money. He needed money to pay for his grandfather’s (Sangili Murugan) operation. It is in the jail he encounters his first political associate Manimaran (Marimuthu) and from there on he gets entangled in a political web. How he uses the opportunities to his favor to climb up the ladder and realises his political ambition in a manipulative way forms the rest. There’s also a functional romantic angle with an actress Anjana (Miya George).
It could be agreed that Vijay Antony has played to his strength and has given a good performance. From nobody to somebody in politics, his rise has been brought out well. Ace Thiagarajan as Karunakaran, the manipulative mastermind in politics has given a laudable performance and proves his versatility. Others like Arul D Shankar, the ever-dependable veteran Charlie, Swaminathan and Sangili Murugan are aptly cast and score well. Miya George is just about adequate. Though the dialogues were sharp and relevant in the current political climate, the screenplay does not offer anything new. Logic goes for a toss, as it is unlikely that a common man takes on a powerful ruling party minister and triumphs in all his endeavors. And why Tamizharasan turns wicked and vengeful is not clearly portrayed.
Though the BGM goes well with the mood of the film, Antony’s songs are a big downer. Jeeva Shankar’s cinematography is decent. The movie moves at a slow pace and an urgent trimming is needed. It is a clear attempt of Jeeva Shankar to project Vijay Antony as a mass hero, but the film works only in parts.
