Tu Yaa Main Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Shanaya Kapoor
Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Tu Yaa Main Movie Review Synopsis:
TU YAA MAIN is the story of two lovers and a crocodile. Avani Shah (Shanaya Kapoor) is an influencer with 2.3 million followers. Her handle is called Miss Vanity. Meanwhile, Maruti Kadam’s (Adarsh Gourav) handle is called Ala Flowpara and he has nearly 20,000 followers. Both are from different strata of society and yet, when they bump into each other, sparks fly. Maruti pursues her for a collab. Avani’s sister Tara (Amrutha Srinivasan), brother-in-law Vikram (Rajat Kaul) and her manager Lyra (Parul Gulati) dissuade her from doing so. Yet, Avani agrees for the collab. In no time, they fall in love with each other, though soon enough, they get a reality check as well. While Avani lives in a sprawling 10,000 square feet residence, Maruti hails from an impoverished neighbourhood in Nala Sopara, near Mumbai. Yet, they decide to give their relationship a try and head to Goa on a bike. On the way, the bike breaks down and the lovers take refuge in a scuba diving centre in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. They find themselves stuck in the swimming pool in the abandoned, remote place. If that’s not enough, they are attacked by a crocodile. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Tu Yaa Main Movie Story Review:
TU YAA MAIN is adapted from the 2008 Thai film THE POOL (screenplay by Ping Lumpraploeng). Himanshu Sharma's story is thrilling. Abhishek Arun Bandekar's screenplay is captivating. However, the romantic portions in the first half could have been crisper. Abhishek Arun Bandekar's dialogues could have been funnier in the first half. But overall, the one-liners are entertaining and relatable to the youth.
Bejoy Nambiar's direction is stylish. Since his first film SHAITAAN [2011], he has been a pro when it comes to technicalities, and in TU YAA MAIN, he takes this skill a few notches higher. The writing is youth-centric and he makes it far more appealing with his execution. The love story has its charm and a few scenes that work big time are Maruti following Avani’s car, Avani opening up about her parents, Avani feeling at home at Maruti’s Nala Sopara neighbourhood etc. It is often said that our films lag behind when it comes to horror and jump scares. But TU YAA MAIN is an exception. A few scenes will lead to screams and gasps, and this experience will only add to the impact of the film in cinemas. The climax is quite nail-biting and the film ends on a great note.
On the flipside, at 145 minutes, the run time is a bit too long for a film of this kind. It is understandable that the makers wanted the viewers to get invested into the lives of Avani and Maruti, so that when they get stuck in the pool, one can root for them and even get moved by their agony. But then the love story should have been depicted a bit more quickly. This is because viewers have entered the theatre to watch not just the protagonists but also the crocodile. Though it spreads terror in the intro scene, it’s largely absent in the first half. Hence, viewers might feel a bit restless as the creature doesn’t unleash its terror in full force until the intermission. Secondly, there are too many songs and only some of them get registered. Lastly, a few moments are unconvincing.
Tu Yaa Main – Trailer | Shanaya Kapoor, Adarsh Gourav | Bejoy Nambiar | Aanand L Rai | Vinod Bhanushali
Tu Yaa Main Movie Review Performances:
This is Adarsh Gourav’s biggest theatrical film to date and he makes good use of the opportunity. He looks every inch an influencer from the outskirts of Mumbai and gets into the skin of his character. He also excels in the emotional scenes. Shanaya Kapoor proves her acting talent and delivers a commendable performance. This is not an easy performance and yet she nails it. Parul Gulati lends able support. Amrutha Srinivasan and Rajat Kaul perform as per their respective character’s demand. Kshitee Jog (Maruti's mother) and Rajsi Anant Kinjalaskar (Sonali; Maruti's sister) are dependable, while Ansh Vikas Chopra (Fabric) is highly entertaining. Rajendra Gupta (Driver) and Parvathy Thiruvothu (mute guest) leave a mark in cameo appearances. Shrikant Yadav (Tavde; cop) is aptly cast. Sagar Muralidhar Bhandgar (Vasanta; caretaker) and Vikram Dahiya (Chinese food delivery guy; also the film’s action director) are fair.
Tu Yaa Main movie music and other technical aspects:
The songs are in sync with the film’s theme, but only a few of them are memorable like 'Fame Us', 'Jee Liya' and 'Chandni'. The song that is the best of the lot is the recreated version of ‘Aankhein Chaar’. The remix and also the visualization and transition are very impressive. Another retro track that is well incorporated in the film is ‘Tum Hi Hamari Ho Manzil My Love’. Prateek Rajagopal's background score is much better and adds to the scare factor.
Remy Dalai's cinematography is quite striking. Special mention should also go to Phantom FX's VFX and the teams that worked on the crocodile. Vikram Dahiya's action is realistic and a bit gory.
Gopika Gulwadi's costumes are stylish and realistic. Pooja Palan's production design is appealing. Priyank Prem Kumar's editing could have been crisper.
Tu Yaa Main Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, TU YAA MAIN is a decently made survival thriller that benefits from Bejoy Nambiar’s slick treatment, effective jump scares and sincere performances by Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor. However, the stretched runtime and the relatively slow build-up, especially before the crocodile action kicks in, dilute the overall impact. The film’s fate at the box office will depend largely on word of mouth, particularly among the youth.
