Yaanai - Arun Vijay shines in this Hari brand sentimental actioner

Hari known for his fast paced action entertainers loaded with family sentiments has joined hands with his brother in law Arun Vijay for the first time.  Whether this exciting combo warms up to the audiences hearts remains to be seen.

Ravi (Arun Vijay) is the youngest son of a prominent business tycoon PRV (Rajesh) of Ramanathapuram.  PRV also has three sons played by Samuthirakani, Bose Venkat and Sanjeev from his first wife.  The family unwittingly causes the death of their arch rival Samuthiram (Jayabalan)'s son Pandi (Ramachandra Raju) and for his twin Lingam (also Ramachandra Raju)  going to jail for seven years.  Lingam comes back from jail and vows to finish off the PVR family while Ravi trying his best to patch up and failing vows to protect his family at all costs.  In the ensuing drama the step brothers turn against the hero and he also has to give up his love.  Did Ravi like an elephant trampled his enemies and save his family or not is what 'Yaanai' is all about.

Arun Vijay after a long time gets a meaty role and he has sunk his teeth into it hitting the bullseye in all departments namely action, sentiment and love in that order.  The talented star is particularly effective when mouthing powerful dialogues and when deflating for his family members.  Priya Bhavani Shankar plays the heroine with minimum fuss and is a pretty sight in both the duet songs.  Yogi Babu's one sentiment scene when he is beaten out of the owner's house is worth fifteen comedy ones he has tried.  Seniors Radhika, Samuthirakani, Bose Venkat, Imman Annachi and others try their best to rise above their underwritten roles.  Ramachandra Raju is menacing as the villain and he also surprises with his emotional act in the end.

What works best in 'Yaanai' is the touching climax and the scenes that speak against casteism and religious fanaticism.    Thankfully Hari has slowed down the camera moments and fast edit cuts and has let at least some of the characters register.  The fight scenes are well choreographed showcasing Arun Vijay's capabilities as an action hero.  The dialogues are meaningful when taking on casteism and especially the line that Arun Vijay speaks to the villain that changes his heart.

On the downside 'Yaanai' is formulaic and there is inconsistency in the screenplay with unfunny comedy scenes placed in between the important sequences of the story pulling it down.  Apart from Arun Vijay and Priya Bhavani Shankar  and to a certain extent the villains all the other characters suffer because of weak writing.

G.V. Prakash Kumar has tuned in a couple of pleasant songs and his background score is in tune with the proceedings on the screen.  Gopinath's camera work and Antony's editing are on par.  Hari has toned down the hazy pace on the action and has also done away with glorifying casteism which are both welcome moves.  He has to an extent satisfied his fans and those who know what to expect from him.  Vedikkaranpatti S. Sakthivel under his banner Drumstick Productions has provided high production values to make the film look grand.

Verdict : Go for this sentimental action film in which Arun Vijay is at his best