Chakka lakka buka!!! OK not such an original line to start a review with, but I?ve been breaking my head over this for too long now, and I thought the best thing would be to go with what I felt at the end of the movie. Watching the film is like taking a steady drip of adrenaline. There?s a lot of pep and vigour, and there?s a quite a lot for the young to take back from the movie on the whole.
The film is about 3 young men: different walks of life, different strata of society, different aspirations, loves, angst, lives. Not much in common, until a bridge brings them together. Twice.
Lallan is a ruffian, a small time goon brought up with the harsh realities of poverty and hunger. Dabbling in extortion and other strong-arm activities organized by his brother, Lallan shows no regard or respect for those he comes in contact with. He has a wife he apparently loves in his savage, unbridled way; but as times goes by, even she comes second to the one driving ambition in his life. To be most powerful, most wealthy, most feared.
Michael is a revolutionary, apparently a hereditary ailment he caught from his father. His objective is to change the world, and his absolute conviction in the power of youth is instrumental in getting a lot of Young Turks to believe in him and take up the cause of national betterment through political office.
Arjun is a desi-wanna-be-videshi youth, representative of the early twenty-somethings who want to live easy and free in a country that has promised so much to so many these past decades. Living with a desh-premi father doesn?t deter his plans to make it big in the land of the free, home of the brave. Then the carefree flirt locks eyes with a fair maiden one night at a disco, and falls-badly. They say love makes the world go round. The whirl gets a bit too much for lover boy, and he pops the question. And then the world turns again, on the bridge.
An incident on the bridge brings these 3 together, and it is very much like coming to the center of a whirlpool from three directions. The time period before the coincidental meeting of the young men is filmed in 3 distinct chunks of flashback. The pre-interval introduces Lallan and Michael to us, lingering on the former, possibly because it?s the most complex character, and something Rathnam really didn?t want to get wrong.
The stories revolve around the theme of the young, and the coming of age of these characters. The incident on the Hoogly second bridge acts as a catalyst for change: Lallan?s entry into the world of life-taking, the disintegration of his marriage; the strengthening of Michael?s resolve and his entry into politics; the realization of purpose for Arjun.
Mani Rathnam?s films are expected by default to be different from the norm, to provide entertainment as well as make sense to the intelligentsia. To have meaning and yet not preach too much. Reputation is a hard taskmaster. You deviate too far, and people question your judgment. You try and be consistent, and your creativity is scrutinized.
You expect the unexpected with Rathnam films, and you get just what you expect. Whether it is seeing the stark negativity of Lallan?s character, the charming innocence of the Michael-Radhika love match, or the risqué relationship that develops between the Casanova Arjun and the carefree Meera, all are moments that interest, captivate, and linger.
Each of the characters is well thought out, designed and developed in that enticing way that only Mani Rathnam characters are. Abhishek Bachchan as Lallan is mesmerizing. He has the plum role and exploits it for all its worth. Abhishek is all that Rathnam wanted Lallan to be-a most impressive sketch of a complex human being. Rani Mukherjee as Sashi is perfect foil to the gruff Lallan, a loving wife trying to bring some semblance of normality to their life.
Captivating as Abhishek is, Rani does well not to be overawed, and emerges with equal esteem. Ajay Devgan is fairly good as Michael. Given his age, his casting may seem like a mistake though I?ve seen older looking college goers in real life, and his previous work shouldn?t really influence how we feel about this character in particular.
Esha Deol as his love interest is surprisingly peppy, very natural. Having done the same role in Tamil probably helped. Vivek Oberoi continues with the good work of his previous films, though I do think he needs to move on to more meaningful roles. Arjun comes across as a very believable youth of this day and age, and I guess so does Meera, performed admirably by Kareena Kapoor. Om Puri in the role of the wily local Minister is as good as he can get.
Technically the film is all you can ask and what you have come to expect from the Mani Rathnam team. Sabu Cyril and Ravi Chandran are responsible for the smooth look and feel of the film. The sound handled by audiographer Laksmi Narayan gives a realistic feel to the dialogues. The music is exemplary, as effective in imparting the spirited feeling to the movie as the chunkettes are. Rathnam?s direction is flawless, though his screenplay left something to be desired, especially post interval.
All good so far, so is there anything wrong with the film? Well yes. The central plot is built around an ideological, almost naïve premise: the need for the Indian youth to enter politics. Changing the world for the better is an admirable concept, but I don?t think Yuva does enough to convince anyone that the shoulders of the young are strong enough to take on the responsibilities that come with this change. However, the message here is that a start has to be made somewhere, and for that due credit must be given.
The movie loses steam a little when it comes to the present. It was as if the director ran out of ideas as soon as the big picture came into focus. Mani Rathnam always has been good at episodal direction. His film snippets have always become highlights at any movie show: sharp, racy, witty, and always different form the norm. The problem in this effort as in others before is his inability to translate this strength at a more global level. The build-up is great; the final delivery-not so much.
The other grouse I have is, ironically with the most remarkable aspect of the film: the character of Lallan. The ruffian?s motivations are unclear, his final denouement hasty and unsure. I wasn?t expecting redemption, but I did feel a need to get into the head of this man a little more. There is a lot of activity with this character, but one does not quite get the feel of what makes him what he is. There are contrasting hues to him: the loving yet firm husband who believes in the man?s right to dominate the woman, yet unable to cope with the passion he feels for her; the ruthless killer, showing no remorse in killing off friend and foe alike; the aspiring power-broker, looking to the easiest path to immortality.
But this film is not all about Lallan Singh. The other characters have their say, though not as effectively, and to a large extent Yuva makes us sit up and take notice. I just wish Rathnam had put in a little more into the last quarter of the film. Would have helped take some of the Abhishek aura off the film, and made the film a bit more likeable for the ?public?. Me, I?m satisfied. The film has this surge of energy, of raw spirit, that is rare in the films of today.