Film ‘Tu Yaa Main’ Review: A Love Story or a Survival Thriller?

BY SHANTISWAROOP TRIPATHI

• Rating: ★★★
• Producers: Vinod Bhanushali, Himanshu Sharma, Aanand L. Rai
• Writers: Himanshu Sharma, Abhishek Bandekar
• Director: Bejoy Nambiar
• Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Shanaya Kapoor, Kshitee Jog, Ansh Vikas Chopra, Parul Gulati
• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

In Bollywood, it is often seen that when filmmakers attempt to Indianize a foreign film, the original subject gets diluted, and the result is disappointing. However, Bejoy Nambiar—known for films like Shaitan, David, Wazir, and Dange—successfully avoids that trap. His film Tu Yaa Main, released on February 13, is an Indian adaptation of the Thai-language film The Pool, directed by Ping Lumpraploeng. Despite being an adaptation, Tu Yaa Main feels original and engaging.

It is worth noting that The Pool is available on YouTube with Hindi subtitles. Yet, even viewers familiar with the Thai version will find themselves engrossed in Nambiar’s interpretation. The biggest difference between the two films is that The Pool primarily revolves around the relationship between two individuals and a crocodile. In contrast, Tu Yaa Main expands the narrative to include Indian society, family dynamics, and social contexts, making it more layered and expansive.

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Bejoy Nambiar’s film is not merely a survival story—it also touches upon themes like social media image, class differences, Marathi vs. Gujarati identity, rap culture, influencer branding, and power balance in relationships. Before the interval, the film focuses on relationships and emotional conflicts. After the interval, it transforms into a survival thriller centered around a crocodile in a swimming pool. Unlike the original Thai film, which begins and ends in the pool, Tu Yaa Main builds a broader emotional foundation before shifting to survival drama.

Story

The film revolves around social media influencer Avni Shah, aka “Miss Vanity” (Shanaya Kapoor), and struggling rapper-singer Maruti Kadam (Adarsh Gourav). Avni carefully plans every move to protect her brand image and boasts 2.3 million followers. Maruti, on the other hand, hails from Nalasopara near Mumbai and performs under the stage name “Aala Flopara.” He wants recognition based purely on his talent.

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They meet at a music event, and what begins as a professional interaction gradually turns into a romantic relationship. Despite belonging to different social classes, love blossoms between them. Avni gets exposed to Maruti’s simple yet authentic world for the first time.

However, their relationship becomes a concern for Avni’s family. To safeguard her image and career, she is sent to Goa. While traveling through the Konkan region, their bike breaks down at night. A local policeman helps them reach a nearby resort-like hotel. They stay there reluctantly.

While enjoying themselves in the resort’s swimming pool, Avni loses track of time—only to discover that a crocodile is present in the pool. From this point onward, the story shifts entirely into survival mode. Interestingly, the film opens with a mysterious scene involving a sensual Konkani woman being swallowed by an unseen force in a lake, followed by a brief shot of Avni whistling in a dried swimming pool, before the narrative moves to Mumbai and the love story begins.

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Review

Before the interval, the screenplay is strong. The family conflicts and relationship dynamics are well portrayed. However, post-interval, the writers and director focus heavily on incorporating elements from the original film, which weakens the script.

For instance, in the Thai original, the crocodile lays eggs, and the starving protagonists cook and eat them—something culturally plausible in Thailand. In India, however, the idea of eating crocodile eggs feels unrealistic. Though the film includes a scene where Maruti jokingly mentions wanting to eat the eggs out of hunger, it comes across as awkward and unnecessary. The dog-related sequence from the original also fails to translate effectively.

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As a result, the second half slows down, loses momentum, and fails to generate the intended thrill. Some scenes feel repetitive, and tighter editing could have improved the pace. At times, it seems as though the story is being stretched unnecessarily.

Bejoy Nambiar is known for creating tension, as he proved in Shaitan. The first half of the film balances emotional depth with humor and brisk pacing. However, the emotional bonds developed before the interval collapse somewhat in the second half. In fact, even if someone watches only the post-interval portion, they might not feel they missed anything crucial.

Despite its flaws, the film remains engaging. The dialogues are sharp and impactful.

Performances

Adarsh Gourav delivers a sincere and understated performance as Maruti. Thanks to both his acting and Nambiar’s direction, the character never appears overly heroic. His Nalasopara accent feels natural, adding authenticity. Before the interval, Maruti is portrayed as carefree and irresponsible; afterward, he evolves into a responsible individual. Gourav handles both shades convincingly. He has previously proven his talent in films like Superboys of Malegaon.

Compared to her debut film Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan, Shanaya Kapoor shows noticeable improvement as Avni. She performs emotional scenes with maturity, though she still needs to bring more variation to her expressions. Interestingly, her chemistry with Adarsh Gourav works better in confrontational scenes than in romantic ones.

Ansh Vikas Chopra is excellent as Maruti’s friend Fabric. Kshitee Jog, known for her strong performances in Marathi cinema, shines as Maruti’s mother. Shrikant Mohan Yadav leaves an impression as policeman Tawde. Parul Gulati, as Lyra, has a very limited screen presence.

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