"YATRA" - Film Review

Considerng the current Tollywood film-making trends from the past one year, Tollywood has been on the binge of producing and releasing biopics. 

Yatra, a full-length feature film made on the events of Ex.CM of once-undivided Andhra Pradesh, YSR, is one of them. 70mm Entertainments, a new production house has produced this film and Mahi. V. Raghav turns as director and helms the screenplay part as well. 

Coming to the casting, Malayalam megastar Mammootty reprises the role of YSR, along with few well-known Tollywood faces like Jagapathi Babu (YS Raja Reddy) Suhasini (Sabitha Indra Reddy) and Rao Ramesh (KVP). 

The entire film is centered around the famous Padayatra undertaken by YSR that eventually led him the chair of Chief Minister instantly with a thunderous majority over the rival in the year 2003. The movie starts off with Anusuya in the role of Suchitra Reddy pleading YSR and seeks his help in gaining the assembly ticket for herself and YSR promises accordingly.

Mammootty as YSR not only reprised the role with ease but voiced his original lines and dubbed his own voice for the role infusing more authenticity to the character. Seasoned actors like Suhasini, Jagapathi Babu, and Rao Ramesh have delivered justice to their given characters as well. Small screen anchor Anusuya (Sucharita Reddy) have delivered some intense performances along with character artist Thotapalli Madhu(VH Hanumanth Rao) who delivered little laughs by performing the character or VH Rao.  

Overall, the highlight of the film has to be none other than the lead role played by Mammootty and his original vocals along with his attitude of ‘I-care-a-damn’ towards the central high command. The one thing amiss that audience felt was that YSR’s life should have been captured a little more in the second half and the character of Jagan Mohan Reddy supposed to be played by Sudheer Babu (Prema Kadha Chitram) did not materialize onscreen at all. Though many were not aware of this fact, so it went unnoticed. 

Mammootty will be remembered by the Telugu audiences for his role as the ‘strong-willed, always smiling-YSR’ and will finally stroll out with loud applause from the audience. The film is a good one-time watch and even the producers may walk out with profitable collections too if not hindered by any major film release in the coming two weeks.