The second of the major biopics to release in Telugu this year, Yatra, based on politician Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's padayatra hits theatres today amid a baggage of expectations. Starring Mammootty , Ashrita Vemuganti, Rao Ramesh in lead roles, here's how the film fares in the first hour.The film, to begin with, establishes key incidents that lead to Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's decision to go on a padayatra. The director introduces a viewer to the power games that happen inside a national level party and how regional leaders bear the brunt of decisions and rules set on a national scale. As a result, there are a lot of dramatic highs that work well because of Mammootty's subtle portrayal of YSR. Mahi V Raghav is particularly efficient in establishing Y S Rajasekhar as a people's leader in key emotional episodes. The film is slow to take off but delivers a bang for your buck at the right time. In particular, the sequences focusing on farmer's issues ensure a solid foundation to the native. However, the film takes the tone of a propaganda attempt at places, with potshots at several political parties and leaders. Mammootty however is the show stealer and Rao Ramesh makes an impact.<doc-sep>Yatra movie review: Mammootty delivers a convincing portrait of a political leader. Yatra movie review: Mammootty delivers a convincing portrait of a political leader. Yatra movie cast: Mammootty, Jagapathi Babu, Suhasini Maniratnam Yatra movie director: Mahi V Raghav Yatra movie rating: 3 stars On January 7, NTR: Kathanayakudu was released. In the film based on the rise and rise of late legendary actor NT Rama Rao, we were introduced to YS Rajasekhara Reddy, a young politician from Pulivendula. “He’s a very good friend,” Chandra Babu Naidu introduces YSR to NTR. “I am your big fan,” YSR replies. Since making an honourary cameo appearance in the NTR biopic, YSR has got his own standalone film, Yatra. It is the second Telugu biopic on a political leader to release this year in the span of just 30 days. However, unlike the former, Yatra limits itself from indulging in over-the-top adulation of its subject. Yatra is not a film about just one man. It is about what that one-man meant to millions of people. Director-writer Mahi V Raghav told me that political biopics has never clicked at the box office in India. He did not just understand the risk of taking up such a project, he was also mindful not to repeat the common mistakes of the biopic genre. The hack is not to burden the script with too much information. For example, NTR: Kathanayakudu was crammed with way too many details that weighed down the entire film. The filmmakers had included at least three different moments just to illustrate one point: NTR was always punctual. He was neither late nor early. He was always on time. A passing reference would have served the purpose, instead of dedicating the precious screentime to play up this trivia, which has no value to add to the narration. But, for Raghav, facts are not as important as narrative. He has avoided writing trivial details into the script, by focusing on just one part of YSR’s life, where he revived the fortunes of a political party that was staring at a definite electoral loss. Make no mistake, it is not a detached study of one of the most important political leaders of our time. The director does want to make YSR look more endearing and the epitome of leadership. But, what makes this film a pleasant watch is the director’s earnest approach to telling a tale of a political superstar. For those who are aware of YSR’s achievements in politics, the film works in the realm of nostalgia. For an uninitiated viewer like me, it subtly captures the power tension between a regional satrap and an age-old national political party. YSR (Mammootty) sticks out like a sore thumb among the crowd of docile. He plays by his own rules and not always obeys the party high-command. But, the fact of the matter is the party needs him more than he needs the party. If push comes to shove, YSR won’t even hesitate to warn the party detailing the strength he enjoys in the assembly. The party infighting is just a sub-plot in Yatra. The main course is the journey of YSR, who becomes more mellow and determined to address problems at the grass-root level. Beyond politics, the film also works as a decent human drama. Other characters have a limited role to play in the film, but thankfully they are not used as a hero-worshipping tool. For instance, Jagapathi Babu, who plays YSR’s father’s YS Raja Reddy, makes a strong presence in the story, even though he just appears in just a couple of scenes. Mammootty, on the other hand, delivers a convincing portrait of a political leader. The first line that YSR says is: “There is no need for you to worry when I am alive.” This dialogue echoes at the end, when you see people collapsing on the ground in despair.<doc-sep>Yatra Director: Mahi Raghav Cast: Mammootty, Sachin Khedekar, Rao Ramesh and Jagapathi Babu Rating: 3/5 Mammootty-starrer Yatra, directed by Mahi Raghav, is one of those political films you wish had more to offer than merely focusing on one particular event. The idea to build a story based on a single event might sound exciting on paper but when translated on screen, it needs more heft to make the story really captivating. As much as Yatra makes one root for YS Rajasekhar Reddy and the most significant moment of his political career – the padayatra (walkathon) which changed the course of politics in Andhra Pradesh – one really wishes the film had more to offer. Nevertheless, it’s an extraordinary story of one man’s vision and how it made him a messiah of sorts for the poor and underprivileged. Watch the trailer for Yatra: What really makes Yatra a solid – if not great – political film is the fact that it does not try to make YSR appear heroic, despite having a star like Mammootty essay the character. It humanizes the protagonist and makes us really understand why YSR was a powerful leader and what set him apart from his contemporaries. Mammootty couldn’t have chosen a better character for his comeback film, Yatra. The walkathon segment, which really is the soul of the film, really makes us root for YSR. The film focuses on two major issues that were addressed during the padayatra — farmer suicides and lack of good healthcare to the poor. The two populist schemes are fittingly narrated through two elaborate sequences which are easily the best stretches of the story which otherwise doesn’t have much more to offer. Yatra is neither a full-length political drama nor a propaganda film. It is a docudrama at best when it focuses on the padayatra, devoid of any major twists and turns that usually leave you in awe. Mahi Raghav, who has made a mark with lesser known but well-made films like Paathshala and Anando Brahma, proves that he can handle subjects that need to be told on a large scale. He handles the story of YSR with sensitivity and could have easily played it safe. But he surprises everyone by making this story stand out. Mammootty makes a grand return to Telugu cinema after two decades. When you walk out watching Yatra, Mammootty leaves one with the feeling that he couldn’t have chosen a better character for his comeback. As YSR, he almost nails every trait that makes the character memorable, including his walk and his signature hand wave. No other actor could’ve played this character with the kind of effortlessness Mammootty brings to his performance. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop<doc-sep>
Yatra Story: YS Rajasekhar Reddy (Mammootty) decides to take on a padayatra during his election campaign. Yatra Review: The gap between an inspirational leader's story and weaving it into an engaging film is indeed huge, proves this week's release Yatra. Narrating a few key episodes in late politician Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's padayatra that had created a far-reaching impact among people residing in the interiors of Andhra Pradesh in 2003 prior to his thumping win in the 2004 elections, Yatra is a half-baked attempt that fails to capture the leader's charisma. And this is another addition to the increasing list of biopics that are mere hagiopics, serving as pamphlets ahead of the election season across the country. Storytelling is not a major focus here and it's no wonder that you see a disappointing result like Yatra, that's stuck between being a leader's story and a promotional tool for a regional party. The emotional foundation to the film though is built rather honestly. The director of the film, Mahi V Raghav, offers a lot of sequences that inform us about Rajasekhar Reddy, the man and not the politician. Someone of Mammootty's stature playing the former CM's role benefits the film, given the personality and the subtlety he lends to the character. Behind all the controversies surrounding the leader's life, the director presents us YSR's version of the stories. Most importantly, Mahi is successful in highlighting the facets that lends an aura to YSR's personality. The dialogues are sharp, precise and impactful to take off. This gives a spectator to look at the character and forget the real life-references, a major victory for a biopic. The sincerity towards storytelling shows in the episodes where a farmer's suicide changes the way YSR looks at their lives. However, this is not the case with the rest of the film. The second hour is a major dampener in comparison to all the good that the first hour does. Yatra begins to feel like a series of backstories behind YSR's popular schemes like Arogyasree and educational scholarships. A viewer loses sight of YSR as a human and the film takes on a documentary-like tone until the leader becomes the CM of AP. Besides, the story loses its life-like quality. Every conversation that YSR has with his aides and beloved, appears like a bunch of inspirational quotes, rolled out one after the other. The opposition party leaders and the Congress party representatives on the national circuit are reduced to caricatures. The film ends with a footage of YSR's popular speeches, his sudden death in the helicopter crash and his son Y S Jagan taking YSR's aims forward. Nothing much is left for the film to achieve in terms of the story. If you manage to sit through the last hour of Yatra, it's only because of Mammooty's adeptness being in the shoes of a people's leader. Though he doesn't emulate YSR's histrionics to the hilt, Mammootty is very effective in bringing suaveness to the role. A viewer is bound to be disappointed with Yatra, for it doesn't do justice in capturing the essence of a charismatic leader like YSR. While Ashrita Vemuganti doesn't have much to do, she appears convincing in the limited portions as YSR's wife Vijayamma. Rao Ramesh, Posani, too do their job well. Yatra could have been a poignant story. As of now, it is only a lost opportunity.