Tag: Ajay

Posted on

Yakshini: A not so satisfying blend of fantasy, thrills, and romance

The performances of Vedhika and Ajay save the series from being a complete washout
  • Starcast: Vedhika, Ajay, Rahul Vijay, Manchu Lakshmi and others
  • Director: Teja Marni
  • Producers: Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni
  • Production house: Arka Media Works
  • Music director: Priyadarshan Balasubramaniam
  • Cinematography: Jagadeesh Cheekati
  • No of episodes: 6
  • Streaming site: Disney+Hotstar

On paper Yakshini directed by Teja Marni has an interesting storyline which could have made for a good concoction of fantasy, thrills and romance but the not so impressive direction coupled with some lackluster CGI make it a tedious watch for most part.

Maya (Vedhika) is a Yakshini/Nymph who has been cursed by Kubera the king of Yakshinis in the mythical land of Alkapuri. Maya falls in love with Mahakal (Ajay). Mahakal deceives her by pretending to be in deep love with her for a particular purpose. Soon the reality of Mahakal comes out leaving Maya heartbroken. Maya is denied re entry into Alkapuri by Kubera. Upon pleading Kubera puts a condition saying that Maya can come back to Alkapuri after killing 100 bramhacharis. She kills 99 but things get complicated as she falls in genuine love with an innocent bachelor Krishna (Rahul Vijay). There is also another Nymph called Jwala Mukhi (Manchu Lakshmi). Jwalamukhi has her own personal agenda against Maya while pretending to be a friend. The rest of the story moves along multiple lines. Mahakal’s enmity with Maya and how he desperately wants to make her his slave, whether Krishna come to know about Maya’s plan and is Maya is able to return to Alkapuri etc

One of the very few redeeming features of Yakshini are the performances of Vedhika and Ajay. As the beautiful and dangerous Maya Vedhika delivers a compelling performance. She is suitably sensuous when required but also makes a big impact in the portions where the character takes a ferocious turn. In the few emotional bits, she effectively conveys the vulnerability of the role. Ajay as the antagonist is effective in bringing the required menace making the viewers hate him. The dynamics between Mahakal and Maya are far more interesting than the tepid love story between Maya and Krishna.

A major problem with the web series Yakshini is the poor handling of the love story. The romance feels mostly labored, adding to the annoyance further is the family of Krishna. This track makes the show look more like a tv serial and less of a web series. Lakshmi Manchu’s Jwala Mukhi begins with promise but beyond a point it doesn’t add much.

The back story of Maya and the Yakshini clan is also severely underdeveloped. More time needed to be spent on that. The VFX and the cinematography isn’t bad but compared to the Baahubali movies the quality is definitely a big letdown. The less said about the music the better.

Yakshini is a very much avoidable even for those who are hardcore fans of fantasy shows.

Posted on

Virupaksha: A Solid Thriller That Is High On Both Atmospherics And Content

Director Karthik Varma Dandu proves to be a worthy successor to his master Sukumar

Virupaksha (Telugu)                3.5 out of 5

Starcast: Sai Dharam Tej, Samyuktha, Sunil, Bramhaji, Ajay, Rajeev Kanakala and others

Direction and story: Karthik Varma Dandu

Screenplay: Sukumar

Producers: B.V. S. N Prasad and Sukumar

Production Company: Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra

Genre: Horror/thriller

Running time: 2 hours and 26 minutes

Thrillers are one of the most difficult genres to execute for any filmmaker. The reason for that is – then the director has to ensure that audiences are constantly on the edge of their seat and keep guessing what will happen next. It becomes even trickier when the director has chosen a subject with undertones of paranormal activities concerning superstitions.

First time director Karthik Varma Dandu sets the story of Virupaksha in the fictional village of Rudravaram. The film begins off in the year 1979 where a couple is burnt alive by the villagers on the suspicion of practicing black magic. The dying couple puts a curse that the entire village will die by next Puskharam. From here we fast forward to 1991 where a series of deaths start happening. It is at this stage that we are introduced to Surya (Sai Dharam Tej). Surya is a city dweller who comes to his ancestral village with his mother and a friend.

On the way they are greeted by a crow which according to his mother is a bad omen but Surya downplays her concerns. Nandini (Samyukta Menon) is the daughter of the village head played by Rajeev Kanakala. Nandini suffers with seizures from time to time. Her health is quite delicate. Surya and his family are hosted by Savitri (Anchor Shyamala). Surya starts developing an interest in Nandini. He starts flirting with her in the typical style of Sukumar heroes. Some lovey dovey moments take place. But things take a turn for bad on the day of the main puja.

Team Virupakasha with Allu Aravind

A missing villager comes from forest in a possessed state and dies inside the sanctum of the temple. This obviously sends shock waves and an elaborate purification ritual is ordered. The priest (Sai Chand) tells the Sarpanch that the village borders should be closed. The priest further adds that outsiders should no longer remain in the village. Surya and his family prepare to leave, but half way through he has to come back to save Nandini’s life who has another seizure.

Meanwhile Nandini’s friend Sudha (Sonia Singh) plans to escape from the village with her beloved. One night she takes the plunge and leaves for the railway station. There she witnesses her lover being hit by a train. A few days later Sudha herself is found dead. In between two more murders happen. One of them includes Savitri. The rest of the story is about how all these mysteries are solved.

Virupaksha grips you from the start with the way Karthik Varma Dandu builds up the ambience. The screenplay written by director Sukumar is filled with many layers. Karthik Varma Dandu and Sukumar come up with some valid arguments against prejudices and superstitious beliefs that stem from ignorance.

Sonia Singh

Karthik Varma Dandu should also be credited for not making Surya larger than life. There are no pointless songs that deviate the audiences from the main core.

The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen adds certain eeriness to the proceedings. The sound effects are very effective in raising some genuine scares. On more than one occasion the viewers would want to close their eyes.

The twists and turns in Virupaksha engross you till the end. At no point we feel the duo has taken us for a ride. A special mention must be made of the revelation at the end. The climax punch works even more because of the way the foreshadowing has been done.

In spite of all its positives there are certain areas where the film is a little problematic, especially in portraying the children of burnt couple suspected of black magic. The way they go about their revenge using the same superstitions does not go well with the tonality of the film. Also some of the costumes worn by Sai Dharam Tej and Samyukta Menon come across as too modern for the period the film is set in.

Sai Dharam Tej delivers a convincing performance as a man who is on a mission to save his love and the village. Samyukta Menon has a meaty role and the actress does complete justice to her part. She particularly shines in the emotionally charged moments.

Out of the supporting characters Rajeev Kanakala and Ajay shine the most. Rajeev Kanakala melts your heart as a concerned father. Ajay on the other hand comes across as a breath of fresh air in his role of an Aghora. He commands the viewer’s attention with his body language and overall demeanor. Sai Chand also does a neat job in his role of a priest.

Virupaksha is a pure and honest thriller that tackles some important issues prevalent in our society.