Film: YAARADHU
Rating: 3.25/5
Banner: Dr Leelavathi Combines
Cast: Vinod Raj, Dr Leelavathi, Ashwini, Nihal, Vikram Udaykumar, Sadashiva Brahmavar, Chetan Rama Rao, Viji etc.
Music: Akil
Camera: Nagesh Acharya
Director: Srinivas Kaushik
Producer: Dr Leelavathi
Release Date: October 28, 2009
 
Story:
A thrilling tale, the story is set on the backdrop of a forest and here is Mary (leelavathi) who dotes on her son John (nihal). She expects her son to be better than everyone and even the son is equally attached to his mother. However, things don't go well for John who is always teased by a group of five guys (Viji, Ganesh, Satish, Raju and Ananda). They rag John and ridicule him at every given point. So much that this falls in the eyes of the principal, John files a complaint against them and goes home for vacation. The principal takes action on them. However, after vacation, John is returning and the news is that he is killed in a bus accident. It is during that time when the five guys go to a guest house owned by Mary. Soon, each one of them goes missing and in comes special cop Prathap (Vinod raj) to investigate. What happens from there forms the rest of the story.
 
Presentation:
The director has come up with an interesting theme and he has presented it very well. Even the narrative is good and the dialogues were neat. The script was written without any flaws and the screenplay was the highlight. Even the background score added to the tension and the songs were alright. Cinematography deserves a pat on the back and the editing has been crisp. Costumes, art department made their presence felt strongly. Vinod has come up with a good performance and he scores well in the dance department as well, Ashwini looks really seductive and she is glamorous. Nihal is alright but Leelavathi came up with a good performance. Among the baddies, Viji did a good job. The others didn't have much screen presence. 
 
Conclusion:
The film comes as a breath of fresh air from the regular monotonous masala entertainers with commercial flavor. While the first half goes about in the right manner, it is the second half where the chills and thrills are felt and it does leave a drop of sweat for the audience at few points. The technical values are good, the performances are nice and given the backdrop and genre, the film is an exciting treat for suspense lovers. This will shine at the box office and if it given some more publicity, then it will be a hit.
 
Bharatstudent Verdict: Worth it!!