Yamakaathaghi Movie Review: A slow-burn mystery drama that makes superstition meet social commentary

3/5

Yamakaathaghi movie plot

Somewhere in a village in Thanjavur lives a young girl Leela (Roopa Koduvayur) who stays with her parents, brother and his wife Prema. Leela, who suffers from breathing issues, and uses an inhaler from time to time, is found hanging in her room after a sudden argument with her father. As the bereaved family prepares for her funeral, her body refuses to leave the home, until the secrets come to the fore.

Yamakaathaghi movie review

For long, stories on myth and supernatural have been used as plot and genre devices to tell and reiterate the stories of beliefs. Yamakaathagai too uses the supernatural force to drive its tale, only that builds on the superstitious beliefs to tear down the masks of those who wander in the form of humans after having done vile wrongdoings. As the villagers believe Leela’s corpse will not leave the house until those who wronged her are revealed and punished in public, Yamakaathaghi turns out to be a simple tale about masqueraded men who are forced to seek a public redemption.

In one of the few lighter moments in Yamakaathaghi, we see Leela makes her lover Anbu hear her say the first time she met him. The description might not be new to Tamil cinema, but debutant director Peppin George Jayaseelan does a role reversal and makes a woman do that. Leela, who consensually records her conversations with Anbu, merely for the benefit of romance, is the central character of Yamakaathaghi. She is found hanging by her mother Chandra (a wonderful Geetha Kailasam), after an argument breaks out between her parents and Leela intervenes to question her father Selvaraj’s behaviour (Raju Rajappan). The scene is staged quickly, real, and a lot happens within a few seconds with much clarity. A mere dialogue getting escalated into a big family fight is no new thing to Indian households, and for the majority of us who have grown up with parents who fight, this scene might just be a passing statement. When Chandra tells Leela that her father has been possessed (what else would be the reason for a man who throws a fit of anger on his family all of a sudden), it gets Selvaraj riled up, as he lashes wrath on his daughter and wife. We are given little crumbs of wrong-doings that characters in the film do, before the main conflict of Leela’s untimely death befalls upon us.

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What stands out in Yamakaathaghi is how it cohesively comes together to tell a story of how even the death of a woman cannot settle scores against how much patriarchy and misogyny have been doing wrong for long. Peppin uses a supernatural force and beliefs to craft a commentary to show what the real curse for women is. That the societal beliefs which chide reality and freedom for honour, that a family’s respect lies in how much control it has on women and not the wrongdoings of a man. This idea is carefully aided by the technical prowess of Sujith Sarang (cinematography), Sreejith Sarang (editing and coloring), and Jecin George (music), who bring the life of a rural setting with utmost authenticity. The cast, including Roopa Kodangayur, and Geetha Kailasam, are the main showrunners, who brilliantly shoulder the film with their realistic performance. Geetha, who by now we have seen in different mother roles, pretty much has few dialogues, until the end where she has a poignant dialogue that summarises the film’s idea.

Also read: Geetha Kailasam Interview: On playing ‘amma’ onscreen, Yamakaathagi, and roles written for aged women | EXCLUSIVE

Having said, Yamakaathaghi does suffer from some flaws or rather certain sore thumbs. The character of Leela’s grandmother who stares at a locked room, believing that a curse might befall if the room is opened, doesn’t add much to the story.

Yamakaathaghi is also a painful story, symbolically which reiterates that women who are often branded adamant, have that as the only way to get what rightfully is theirs, in this case the truth. The film packs in several commentaries like this, and takes a simple and no-frills route to narrate the tale.

Yamakaathaghi movie verdict

With decent production values, performances and direction, Yamakaathaghi is a no-frills supernatural drama that brings a fresh storytelling to the table. Even as the film might have certain shortcomings, Yamakaathaghi is definitely a film to watch out for, only for its refreshing narration and execution.