While a golden frame might draw attention to a painting it holds, what makes the art a masterpiece is its quality. Similar is the case of a film. Without strong content, can a film survive?
Yaan, the debut directorial venture of noted cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran, carried high expectations. Chandran has worked in Bollywood films such as Fanaa, Rabne Bana Di Jodi and Dil Chahta Hai, to mention some. But Yaan failed to deliver.
Sure, the visuals of Yaan are a treat but they end up like the golden frame of a painting. Poor scripting is the major flaw, despite the story opening with well-staged shoot-out scenes.
Amidst this violence, Chandru (Jiiva) falls in love with Sreela (Thulasi Nair) when they both bump into each other at an ATM. While Chandru falls head over heels in love with Sreela, a driving school instructor, she does not take him seriously initially. Trying to build up their romance takes up the first half of the story and even then, you just don’t feel they are in love. The onscreen chemistry is missing.
Post interval, the story gets a thrust forward after Chandru is arrested in a fictional Middle Eastern country named Basilistan for possessing drugs. Innocent and tricked into this situation by a travel agent, Chandru is now on the death row.
No logic
What next? The obvious! Sreela arrives in Basilistan to rescue her lover. From then on, the narrative becomes a joke. Predictable and with logic taking a backseat, Yaan reminds you of those empty Bollywood films that boasted only glamorous heroines, exotic locales and stylish action scenes.
Entertaining me during the second half were the guffaws of the audience around, who could not help themselves as they watched Chandru bash an intimidating prisoner guard and escape. It gets funnier when a fellow prisoner hands over a bunch of keys to open the main gate and lo behold, a two-wheeler is parked there for Chandru to zip off. Is it really so easy to escape from a prison and that too in a country that has strong laws for possessing drugs?
Chandru reaches the hotel where Sreela is staying and rings her room door bell.
But then Yaan does not end with the union of the lovers. Chandru has to settle scores with the travel agent who is hand in glove with a wanted terrorist. And, of course, fly back to India.
With more cat-and-mouse games to keep you chuckling, Yaan disappoints.
Jiiva looks dashing but the good actor has been wasted in a role that has nothing to offer. Even Nasser, a veteran, suffers from the same fate. After Kadal, Nair is seen playing a mature woman, but she needs to work on her expressions.
Yaan fits well into the Bollywood template but there have been many like it before. It’s another yawn.
