Director: Bejoy Nambiar
Rating: ***
Bejoy Nambiar is a filmmaker known for style and atmosphere (Shaitan, Taish), and with "Tu Yaa Main", he dives into the uncharted waters of the "Creature Feature" genre in Bollywood. Released on Valentine's Day weekend, the film is an official adaptation of the 2018 Thai hit The Pool.
While it succeeds in creating genuine tension and offers a fresh pairing in Adarsh Gourav and Shanaya Kapoor, the film is weighed down by a bloated runtime. It is a survival drama that occasionally forgets to just survive and decides to take long pauses for relationship bickering.
The Plot: Influencers vs. Predator
The premise is delightfully Gen-Z.
Maruti (Adarsh Gourav): An aspiring "gully" rapper from the outskirts (Nallasopara) who goes by the stage name "Flopara".
Avani (Shanaya Kapoor): A privileged, high-society fashion influencer known as "Ms. Vanity".
Despite their contrasting worlds, the two are in a secret relationship. To escape the noise of their digital lives, they sneak away to an abandoned, rundown resort on the way to Goa. A series of unfortunate events—a drained pool, a storm, and sheer bad luck—leaves them trapped at the bottom of a 20-foot-deep concrete swimming pool.
As if starvation and exposure weren't enough, they are soon joined by an uninvited guest: a massive, hungry crocodile that washes in with the storm flood. The film is a chamber piece (or rather, a pool piece) focusing on their desperate attempts to escape the beast and their own crumbling relationship.
Performances
Adarsh Gourav as Maruti:
Adarsh is the anchor of this ship. After his breakout role in The White Tiger, he proves here that he can handle mainstream commercial beats without losing his gritty edge. He captures the frustration, fear, and street-smart survival instincts of Maruti perfectly. His transition from a carefree lover to a desperate survivor is convincing.
Shanaya Kapoor as Avani:
This is Shanaya’s second major outing, and it is a marked improvement from her debut. She fits the role of the urban, somewhat entitled influencer well. While she struggles in a few high-emotion scenes, her physical commitment to the grueling survival sequences is commendable. She shares a surprisingly natural chemistry with Adarsh.
Direction and Writing
Bejoy Nambiar proves he is a master of aesthetics.
The Good: The cinematography by Remy Dalai is suffocatingly beautiful. The use of rain, grey skies, and the claustrophobic concrete walls creates a palpable sense of dread. The crocodile attacks are directed with flair—Nambiar knows how to hide the monster to build suspense.
The Bad: The runtime of nearly 2.5 hours is the film's biggest villain (bigger than the croc). The script tries too hard to blend a relationship drama with a survival thriller. Just when the tension peaks, the characters break into long arguments about class differences or their past, which kills the momentum. A tighter 90-minute edit would have made this a masterpiece.
Technical Aspects
VFX: For a mid-budget Indian film, the CGI crocodile is surprisingly effective. It has weight and menace, though a few shots in bright light look a bit synthetic.
Sound Design: Excellent. The sound of the crocodile hissing, the relentless rain, and the bone crunches add to the horror.
Music: The background score is pulse-pounding, though the inclusion of full-length songs in a survival thriller feels out of place.
Box Office & Reception
Audience Pulse: The youth audience is intrigued by the unique concept. It is serving as a "counter-programming" option to the heavy gangster drama O Romeo, which also released today.
Critical Consensus: Critics are praising Adarsh Gourav and the technical aspects but criticizing the "logic-defying" decisions the characters make (a common trope in horror movies) and the length.
Final Word
Watch it if: You enjoy survival thrillers like Trapped or Crawl and want to see a Bollywood take on the genre. It’s a tense, edge-of-the-seat experience in parts.
Skip it if: You get frustrated by characters making bad decisions or if you have a phobia of reptiles.
Highlights:
Adarsh Gourav’s intense performance.
The terrifying pool sequences.
Unique concept for Bollywood.
Lowlights:
Too long (2 hours 25 minutes).
Forced relationship drama amidst life-and-death situations.
