Yemaali
| Yemaali | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | V. Z. Durai |
| Written by | V. Z. Durai |
| Dialogue by | Jeyamohan |
| Produced by | M. Latha |
| Starring | Samuthirakani Sam Jones Athulya Ravi Roshni Prakash |
| Cinematography | M. Rethish Kanna I. J. Prakash |
| Edited by | R. Sudharsan |
| Music by | Sam D. Raj |
Production company | Latha Productions |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
| Budget | ₹3.5 crore[1] |
Yemaali (Tamil pronunciation: [eːmaːli] transl. Naïve)[a] is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by V. Z. Durai. The film stars Samuthirakani, Sam Jones, Athulya Ravi, and Roshni Prakash. Produced by Latha Productions and featuring music composed by Sam D. Raj, it began production in April 2017 and was released on 2 February 2018.
Plot
After being dumped by his girlfriend Ritu, Maali enlists the help of his friend Aravind to get revenge on her.
Cast
- Samuthirakani as Aravind/Pandiyan
- Sam Jones as Maali
- Athulya Ravi as Ritu/Ri2
- Roshni Prakash as Divya
- Bala Saravanan as Rathakrishnan
- Singampuli as Selvaraj
- Janani Ashok Kumar as Maari
Production
The film was announced in March 2017, with director V. Z. Durai confirming that his next film would feature Samuthirakani in the leading role. Durai revealed that Samuthirakani would be playing the full-fledged lead role for the first time, and would be seen in four different looks. B. Jeyamohan was signed to write dialogues, while two cinematographers Rethish and Prakash and debut music composer Sam D were also selected for the project.[3] Newcomer Sam Jones and actress Athulya Ravi, who starred in Kadhal Kan Kattudhe (2017), were selected to play other pivotal roles in the film, which began production in early April 2017.[4] It was prominently shot in Chennai.[5]
A teaser trailer for the film was released in November 2017, with scenes depicting Athulya undressing and smoking a cigarette being featured. In an unexpected turn of events, Athulya apologised to her fan following for the scenes and stated that the scenes would not be featured in the film.[6][7] Portraying a character knows as Ritu, Athulya described that the character was a modern and independent girl, who is exactly opposite to what she was in real life. For the role, Athulya trained to walk and talk like the character, coloured her hair and lost weight to look the part.[8]
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Sam D. Raj. The soundtrack album was released on 15 December 2017 through TrendMusic.[9]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ineemelum Nee Illai" | Mohan Rajan | Velu | 4:34 |
| 2. | "No No" | V. Z. Durai | V. Z. Durai, Cliffy | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Ekkachekka Kushiyo" | Mohan Rajan | Cliffy, Hemambika, Velu | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Nai Nai Boyfriend" | V. Z. Durai | Nincy | 4:07 |
| 5. | "Niavae Illa Vaanam" | Arun Bharathi | Velu, V. Z. Durai | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 20:40 | |||
Release and reception
The film was released on 2 February 2018.[10] The Times of India wrote, "The idea is good on paper, but falls flat in execution. The scenes that are imagination and the real sequences are, at times, shown simultaneously, which kind of creates confusion and fails to hold our attention".[11] Kirubhakar Purushothaman of India Today wrote, "The film tries exceptionally hard to portray the modern youth and their romance, but what pans out on the screen is a chichi endeavour", criticising the shaming of the LGBTQ community, sexist jokes, and "cringe-worthy" double entendres.[12] Gopinath Rajendran of The New Indian Express criticised the writing, the majority of cast performances and their lip synching, concluding, "On the whole, Yemaali is a tedious watch with not even a single aspect to salvage it".[2] Cinema Vikatan said the film had an interesting one-liner but criticised other aspects such as the shaming of homosexual people, cinematography and music.[13] Dinamalar gave a negative review, criticising the technical aspects and saying the film looked like a television show.[14]
Notes
- ^ Also a portmanteau of the letter "A" from Aravind, and the name Maali.[2]
References
- ^ Madura Veeran, O N N P S, Yemaali, Padaiveeran Films Original Collection Report – Valai Pechu (in Tamil). Valai Pechu. 9 February 2018. From 7:52. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Rajendran, Gopinath (3 February 2018). "'Yemaali' movie review: The title could very well mean the audience". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ K, Janani (17 March 2017). "Kani will be seen in a live-in relationship: VZ Durai". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ K, Janani (7 April 2017). "Athulya Ravi in VZ Durai's next". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
- ^ Ramachandran, Mythily (31 January 2018). "Tamil film 'Yemaali' takes on relationships". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 10 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ Subramanian, Anupama (10 November 2017). "Athulya Ravi apologises to her fans". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ "Athulya apologizes for her glam appearance in 'Yemali'". Sify. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ Suganth, M (27 November 2017). "My character is opposite to what I am in real life: Athulya". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 June 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
- ^ "An important announcement from 'Yemaali' team". Suryan FM. 14 December 2017. Archived from the original on 17 November 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ "Tamil movies released on February 2". New Gen Entertainments. Archived from the original on 8 August 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ "Yemaali Movie Review". The Times of India. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ Purushothaman, Kirubhakar (2 February 2018). "Yemaali movie review: Samuthirakani's film is regressive, unadulterated nonsense". India Today. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ "நல்ல ஒன்லைனர் மட்டும் போதுமா... வெரி ஸாரி வி.இஸட்.துரை..! - 'ஏமாலி' விமர்சனம்" [Is a good one-liner enough... Very sorry V. Z .Durai..! - Yemaali review]. Cinema Vikatan (in Tamil). 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ "ஏமாலி". Dinamalar (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 21 January 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
External links
- Yemaali at IMDb
- Yemaali at Rotten Tomatoes