A small film which has its heart in the right place is always a treat to the viewers. Yaathisai is one such film. Despite all the budget constraints a lot of effort has been put in to showcase the 7th century. Dharani Rasendran attempts to give a different shade to the well-known rivalry between the Cholas and the Pandiyas. The film is not about the kings or the men of authority. It is about one man's wish to free his clan and give them what is rightfully theirs. "What is stopping him?" or to be even more precise "Who is stopping him?" It is not the brute force or strength. It is the hunger for power and the thirst for authority. It is a time period where men are treated as mere objects or pawns in a game of power.

The film is raw with the characters giving it their all. The masks that hide the human emotions are stripped off thus revealing their true colours and honest intentions. The writing matches the rawness on screen as the audience are gifted with one great dialogue after another. And there are some amazing stunt sequences as well. The stunt work in the film itself is worth our time and money.

Seyon as Kothi is the warrior who sets out to free his clan. It is truly captivating. Seyon lives the part and makes us believe that he will truly succeed in his pursuit. Shakti Mithran who plays the mighty Ranadheera Pandiyan also chips in with a great performance. It is wonderful to see two men who are very much alike go against each other.

Kudos to the whole technical crew of the film. The film really shines in their hands.  Art Director Ranjith Kumar and cinematographer Akilesh Kathamuthu are the soul of the film. They do their absolute best to showcase the intended time period with authenticity.  Even the music by Chakravarthy blends beautifully with the mood of the characters on screen. Editor Mahendran Ganesan ensures that the film is crisp.

Despite the fact that the film deserves a lot of praise, the switching of dialects stood out like a sore thumb. I understand that it is an experiment but it almost feels like a lot is lost in translation despite the presence of English and Tamil subtitles. It would have been better if the makers had opted for the Tamil that we are familiar with. Expressing the emotions correctly goes a long way in capturing the attention of the audience.

But Yaathisai is a breath of fresh air because of the way it exposes the real intentions of the so-called benevolent kings. Their ultimate motive was power. They gave to the people because it would ensure that they could hold onto authority as long as they wanted to. 

Dharani Rasendran has to be applauded for attempting this film with a bunch of newcomers. The attention to every detail was mesmerizing.