Yuvarathnaa Movie Review: Mass entertainment with social message

Cast: Puneeth Rajkumar, Sayyesha Saigal, Prakash Raj

Directed By: Santosh Ananddaram

Puneeth Rajkumar's movie is both entertaining and enlightening. Look keenly and you will know there is not much difference between Raajakumara(2017) his previous outing with Puneeth Rajkumar – and this film. In fact, he showed his first glimpse of sensitive handling of the parent-child relationship in Mr and Mrs Ramachari.

Yuvarathnaa begins with the suicide of a meritorious student who succumbs to the ill will of money-hungry businessmen and her principal using this to fight a battle against this. This micro fight is symbolic of the bigger threat looming large over private colleges trying to shadow government and government-aided ones. In the midst of this scenario lands Arjun, who joins as an engineering student midway through the course. Who is he? What is his mission? What connects Arjun to this movement?

Yuvarathnaa entertains fans and has an ample dose of action, sentiments, comedy and even a dash of romance. While this works fine, there could have been a tad more attention paid to the seasoning of this for it to emerge near perfect. There are ample characters and most of them do have something to do throughout.

Yuvarathnaa is an out-and-out crowd-pleaser. There are dance numbers where Puneeth Rajkumar sets the floor on fire, non-stop flow of punchlines, self-referential humour and many references to Dr Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar to send fans into a frenzy. Even as the narrative pattern feels repetitive and a few jokes are forced, the film comes with a few redeeming qualities. 

One of them is this star-vehicle doesn’t give you a migraine. The film is 2-hour, 41-minute runtime is not entirely dedicated to the adulation of Puneeth. At times, the hero takes a step back and shares the spotlight with other characters. 

The film is not only about the hero’s prowess. It has heartfelt moments that bring out the humour and pain in our mundane lives, highlighting the perils of making education an expensive affair and the pointlessness of an archaic grading system that decides one’s self-worth. Add to that Puneeth’s screen presence and his energy, and you have a watchable film.

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Yuvarathnaa, like Rajakumaara, is a tale about human values. This time, though, the backdrop is of a college campus. For those who like their masala entertainers, this one will not disappoint. The film does remind you of a few dramas set against the education system, especially in Tamil cinema, but Yuvarathnaa still has its own.

Overall, Yuvarathnaa will entertain Puneeth Rajkumar's fan and those who love a message-driven film.