Yaanai
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHari
Written byHari
Produced byVedikkaranpatti S. Sakthivel
Starring
CinematographyS. Gopinath
Edited byAnthony
Music byG. V. Prakash Kumar
Production
company
Drumsticks Productions
Distributed byKKR Cinemas
Release date
  • 1 July 2022 (2022-07-01) (India)
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil
Budget₹15 crore[1]
Box office₹45 crore[2]

Yaanai (transl. Elephant) is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language action drama film directed by Hari and produced by Vedikkaranpatti S. Sakthivel under the banner of Drumsticks Productions. The film stars Arun Vijay, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Ramachandra Raju, Samuthirakani, Rajesh, Radhika Sarathkumar, Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran, Ammu Abhirami, Yogi Babu and Pugazh. The soundtrack and background score were composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Gopinath and Anthony.[3][4]

It is the second collaboration of Arun Vijay and Priya Bhavani Shankar after Mafia: Chapter 1 and Vijay's first collaboration with Hari.[5] It was shot extensively across Tamil Nadu including Ramanathapuram, Rameshwaram, Thoothukudi, Palani and the final schedule was wrapped up in Karaikudi.

Yaanai was scheduled to release on 1 July 2022 to positive reviews from critics and became a commercial success at the box office.[6][7]

Plot

P.R.Veerapandiyan alias PRV is an influential person in Ramanathapuram district who runs multiple business ventures spanning Rameswaram. PRV has four sons; Ramachandran, Sivachandran, Jayachandran and Ravichandran "Ravi". Ramachandran, Sivachandran and Jayachandran are PRV's deceased wife's sons, while Ravi is from PRV's second wife Muthaaram. Ravi loves his brothers dearly, but they covertly disregard him as their half-brother. Ramachandran manages the main business with Sivachandran and Jayachandran, while Ravi manages their low-income properties.

Samuthiram, who is PRV's fromer friend from Rameswaram, blames his family for the death of his younger son Pandi and is out to avenge him with Pandi's twin brother Lingam, who is currently in prison for killing DSP Thiyagarajan. It is revealed that, 7 years ago Pandi actually killed Ravi's friend by throwing him off the Ramanathapuram-Rameswaram pamban bridge. Ravi, who was the classmate of the victim made legal proceedings which got Lingam trapped. Samuthiram personally met with PRV and asked for a truce between them and dead guy's family. While PRV agreed, his three elder sons refuse since the dead guy was from their caste. In a meeting between victim's family and Samudhram’s family, choas erupts and Pandi tried to shoot Ravi. Out of options, Thiyarajan killed Pandi. The next day Lingam had killed Thiyagarajan to avenge Pandi's death, but got caught and punished with 7 years imprisonment. Ravi also fall in love for Jebamalar, who eventually reciprocates his feelings. Lingam soon gets released from prison and Ravi realizes that Lingam is out for his family's blood, where he secretly tries to protect his family.

Ravi soon stumbles upon his half-niece and Ramachandran's daughter Selvi alias Paapa's relationship with a Muslim boy named Raheem. Ravi accepts their relationship and tries to prevent Paapa from making hasty decisions, but Paapa elopes with Raheem with the help of Jebamalar. Ravi's caste-fanatic brothers blame him for his inaction despite knowing of Paapa's affair, where they oust him and Muthaaram from their house and PRV dies from the resulting distress. During his funeral, Ravi's half-brothers forbid Ravi to see his father for one last time, but they allowed Lingam and Samuthiram. This incident enraged Muthaaram, where she ridicules Ravi's half-brothers. Ramachandran orders Pappa's death to protect his honour after losing his respect and status.

Ravi decides to take the matter into his own hands and tries to locate Pappa. After intense efforts, Ravi finds Pappa in Nagore, but Raheem is missing. Ravi brings her back to their house, where Ramachandran attempts to kill her, but Ravi stops Ramachandran and warns him. Ravi's brothers decide to team up with Lingam to kill Ravi's household. Ravi tracks down Raheem, who was kidnapped by Lingam, and reunites Raheem with his parents. At night, Lingam's men barge into Ravi's house while he is not home. Although Pappa and Muthaaram tries to stop them from breaking into the house, Lingam and his men manage to enter and start attacking them.

Ravi arrives in time to protect his family from Lingam's attack. Ramachandran gets backstabbed by some of his own men, having been bribed by Lingam, (who tries to double-cross the brothers) but Ramachandran manages to survive the attack. Muthaaram and Pappa get brutally injured and get admitted to the hospital. Ravi enters their house and tearfully reveals that he had chosen to sever the ties with the family. A guilty Ramachandran reconciles with Ravi, but Lingam kidnaps Jayachandran's child. Ravi begs Lingam to leave her alone, but Lingam doesn't budge.

However, Samuthiram is disgusted at Lingam for trying to kill a child instead of the brothers and distracts him for the child to escape. Lingam tussles with Samuthiram and chases after the girl. Ravi arrives promptly to save her and chases Lingam to an island nearby. Ravi thrashes Lingam, but spares him since he is about to become a father, thus ending the feud peacefully. Pappa and Raheem reunites with Ramachandran and Ravi is also finally accepted as their brother by PRV brothers.

Cast

Production

Development

The film was tentatively titled as AV33. On September 9, 2021, the film's official title was unveiled as Yaanai by 33 prominent Indian celebrities such as Anurag Kashyap, Vijay Sethupathi, Arya, Pa. Ranjith, Vignesh Shivan, Keerthy Suresh and many more others.[8][9]

Casting

Priya Bhavani Shankar was cast in as the female lead opposite Arun Vijay, marking their second collaboration after Mafia: Chapter 1. Ramachandra Raju was reported to play dual roles in the film while veteran actress Radhika and other actors and actresses like Yogi Babu, Samuthirakani, and Ammu Abhirami appear were cast in other pivotal roles.[10]

Filming

Principal photography of the film began on 3 March 2021[11] and wrapped up on 7 December 2021.[12]

Music

Yaanai
Soundtrack album by
G.V. Prakash Kumar
Released2022
Recorded2022
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length28:09
LanguageTamil
LabelDrumsticks Productions
ProducerG. V. Prakash Kumar
G.V. Prakash Kumar chronology
Ayngaran
(2022) 		Yaanai
(2022) 		Sardar
(2022)
Singles from Yaanai
  1. "Yelamma Yela"
    Released: 13 January 2022
  2. "Bodhaiya Vittu Vaale"
    Released: 11 February 2022
  3. "Sandaaliye"
    Released: 17 June 2022

G. V. Prakash Kumar composed the soundtrack and background score of the film while collaborating with actor Arun Vijay for first time and director Hari for second time after Seval. The lyrics for the songs are written by Snehan, Ekadasi, Arivu and Hari. The first single "Yelamma Yela" was released on 13 January 2022.[13] The second single " Bodhaiya Vittu Vaale" was released on 11 February 2022.[14] The third single is "Sandaaliye" was released on 17 June 2022.[15] The full album was released by Drumsticks Productions on 30 June 2022.[16]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Yelamma Yela"SnehanArya Dhayal4:09
2."Bodhaiya Vittu Vaale"ArivuG. V. Prakash Kumar, Arivu, Santhosh Hariharan4:14
3."Sandaaliye"SnehanVelmurugan, Roshini4:23
4."Enna Othaiyila"EkadasiVelmurugan4:31
5."Ganapathy Saranam"HariSaindhavi2:14
6."Deiva Magale"HariSaindhavi3:24
7."Edhanaala Varutham"HariAnthony Daasan3:24
8."Yelamma Yela - Version 2"SnehanG. V. Prakash Kumar4:04
Total length:28:09

Release

Theatrical

The teaser trailer of the film was released on 23 December 2022.[17] The film was initially planned for release in theatres on 6 May 2022, but got postponed due to lack of adequate screens. It was later scheduled for 17 June 2022, but got postponed again due to Kamal Haasan's Vikram for record breaking success.[18][19] The film was finally released in theatres on 1 July 2022.[20][21]

Distribution

The film is distributed in Tamil Nadu by KKR Cinemas.[22]

Home media

The post-theatrical streaming rights of the film was bought by ZEE5 and the satellite rights of the film was bought by Zee Tamil and Zee Thirai.[23] The film is scheduled to digitally stream on ZEE5 from 19 August 2022 after completing its 50 day theatrical run.[24]

Reception

Critical response

Yaanai received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.[25][6][7]

Navein Darshan of The New Indian Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "When mainstream cinema brings such wholesomeness and depth, they do warrant some forgiveness from us for its flaws."[26] M. Suganth of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "The hero protecting his family from the villain is a trope that Hari often resorts to and the director manages to present this with slight variations to make the story not become too predictable."[3] Karthik Keramalu of Firstpost gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Love alone doesn’t win at the end of the day in Yaanai. Dysfunctional families that remain functional during a malfunction also win here."[27]

Bhavana Sharma of Pinkvilla gave 3/5 stars and wrote "On the whole, Yaanai is a film that is definitely worth a watch this weekend. It is a typical Tamil film which gives importance to family values and tells people to be kind."[28] Behindwoods gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Yaanai is the kind of film that you might enjoy if you're a fan of Hari. Arun Vijay's performance, GV Prakash's music and Hari's family drama elements make the film a watchable commercial entertainer."[29] S.Subhakeerthana of OTT Play gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Yaanai, headlined by Arun Vijay, is an uninventive old-school melodrama that delivers customary goods. An average time-pass film that sticks to a tried and tested formula."[30]

Praveen Sudevan of The Hindu wrote "Thankfully, the camera doesn’t move like it is attached to a roller-coaster. But ‘Yaanai’ is tedious with outdated elements."[31] Sruthi Ganapathy Raman of Film Companion wrote "Despite the tropes associated with a masala potboiler, the makers manage to produce a watchable mass film and that is because they know exactly what their movie stands for."[32]

References

  1. ^ "'Yaanai' box office collection: Day 11". Box Office Business. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Yaanai Budget & Box Office Collection Day 16 Worldwide". Bollymoviereviewz. 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Yaanai Movie Review : Arun Vijay's Yaanai is formulaic, but watchable". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Arun Vijay's 'Yaanai' release gets a new release date, Here's why". The Times of India. 18 April 2022.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Yaanai trailer: Arun Vijay looks fierce in upcoming action drama". 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "இதே மாவ இன்னும் எவ்ளோ நாள் அரைப்பீங்க! அப்டேட் ஆகலையா சார்? - யானை விமர்சனம்". July 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Audiences positive response for Yaanai (2022) in twitter". Filmibeat. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Official: Yaanai Is The Title Of Arun Vijay, Hari Film!". Moviecrow. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Official: Yaanai Is The Title Of Arun Vijay, unveiled by 33 Indian celebrites". Jsnewstime. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Arun Vijay's AV33 with director Hari titled Yaanai". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Arun Vijay-Hari film launched". Cinema Express. 3 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Arun Vijay begins dubbing for Yaanai". The Times of India. 7 December 2021.[permanent dead link]
  13. ^ "The first single from 'Yaanai' is to release on this date". The Times of India. 10 January 2022.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "போதையை விட்டு வாலே... அரைக்கூவல் விடும் நடிகர் அருண் விஜய்". Filmibeat. 11 February 2022. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  15. ^ "An enthralling rural love track #Sandaaliye from #Yaanai 🐘 is coming your way tomorrow @7 PM". Twitter. 16 June 2022. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Arun Vijay, Hari, GV Prakash's grand Yaanai jukebox released. Film in 1500 screens!". Cinema Speak. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Yaanai teaser: Arun Vijay turns a true-blue Hari hero in this action drama". OTTplay. 23 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Arun Vijay's 'Yaanai' release postponed to July 1". The Times of India. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  19. ^ "'With all due respect to Vikram': Arun Vijay's 'Yaanai' postponed". DT Next. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  20. ^ "'Yaanai' director Hari on the success of 'Vikram': The film has made Tamil directors proud at the Pan Indian stage". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  21. ^ "Enugu Review: Perfect blend of action and drama". 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  22. ^ "TN rights of Arun Vijay's 'Yaanai' bagged by KKR Cinemas". Orissapost. 18 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Zee5 bags the digital and satellite rights of Arun Vijay's Yaanai; film to hit screens in February". OTTplay. 13 December 2021. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  24. ^ "OTT release date locked for Arun Vijay's Yaanai". 123telugu.com. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  25. ^ "'Yaanai' box office collection day 4: Arun Vijay starrer mints over Rs 12 crores in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. 5 July 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  26. ^ "Yaanai Review: 'Yaanai' a gripping anti-casteism film with good-old masala". Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  27. ^ "Yaanai Movie Review: An action drama that does what it sets out to do". 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  28. ^ "Yaanai Movie Review: Arun Vijay shines on screen; A perfect mass entertainer to watch this weekend". 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  29. ^ "Yaanai (aka) Yannai review". 2 July 2022. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Yaanai movie review: This Arun Vijay-Hari film has real good moments few and far between". OTT Play. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  31. ^ Sudevan, Praveen (July 2022). "'Yaanai' movie review: Hari cuts screenplay pace, but this Arun Vijay-starrer is still a middling melodrama". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  32. ^ "Yaanai Movie Review: Arun Vijay Is In Full Form In Hari's Melodramatic Action Romp". Film Companion. July 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2023.

External links

Films directed by Hari
Categories