Youngraad review: This film about youth gone astray itself loses its way

Just a year after the release of his masterpiece of a debut film, Ringan: The Quest (2017), director Makarand Mane is back with Youngraad.

In Ringan, Mane explored the delicate relationship of a father and his young son as they are caught in adverse circumstances of poverty and desolation. In Ringan, Mane’s characters were thrown in challenging situations, a test of character and perseverance.

Youngraad’s basic theme is the same. Backed by Phantom Films, known for its edgy content, Youngraad takes a darker route, but not before meandering aimlessly through the first half.

Mane uses teenagers at the cusp of exploring the young adult life as his prime characters. As the film progresses, many minor characters are also introduced.

The term 'youngraad', a coinage, refers to youth gone wayward. The story is narrated by Vikas (Chaitanya Deore), one of the four pubescent protagonists dealing with signs of hormonal changes like cracking voices and newfound physical strength.

Childhood friends Monya (Shiv Wagh), Bappa (Jeevan Karalkar), Antya (Saurabh Padvi) and Vikas are slowly losing their way as healthy teenagers as they get into scuffles and start working as extortionists for a local ruffian, Bhallal Bhau (Vitthal Patil).

Vikas is a sensitive but headstrong guy, Monya is the daredevil who would do anything for his friends, Bappa is the stock character who eats big and breaks wind, while Antya is the quiet one.

While these characters are different, their depth remains largely unexplored as they go through their young lives. Apart from these four, many others are simply introduced into the plot with little to no depth.

When Vikas falls for Teju (Shireen Patil), a girl in a neighbourhood school, the boys decide to give up their crooked ways. They enlist the help of her friend Chakuli (Monika Chaudhari) and these are among the cutest moments in the film. As their respect for their idol Bhallal Bhau diminishes, they are left in the lurch looking for role models.

Life takes a turn for the worse when a freak accident gets the boys entangled as accused in a murder case.

Mane’s plot meanders through the first half, which has little bearing on what’s to come after the interval. He gives unnecessary footage to some characters who eventually don’t matter. The screenplay is by Mane himself, along with Shashank Shende and Aziz Madari. And this is probably where they lost the plot.

Mane uses Manan Munjal’s background music effectively to convey urgency but can barely mask the lack of depth in some sequences. While his story is effective, the director takes too long to say what he has to. The film is salvaged to an extent by the cast that performs brilliantly despite the limited range offered by the screenplay.

Chaitanya Deore is a natural who does not go for elaborate expressions or actions. He slips into the skin of Vikas effortlessly and makes the character his own. From having his childhood and love taken away to witnessing the death of a loved one, his blank eyes say a lot.

The woman who plays Teju’s mother is an example of perfect casting. Her dialogues are on point and her strong character’s vulnerability is also exposed. Her conversation with Teju and Vikas is handled very well, and could teach conservative parents a thing or two about helping their teens manage their raging hormones.

Shashank Shende, who delivered a perfect performance in Ringan: The Quest (2017) and the recent Redu (2018), plays Vikas’s father. He shines in the limited footage he gets as a strict but loving parent. Bhushan Patil’s dialogues are most appealing in the final sequence of the heartfelt monologue by Shende’s character to his son.

Among the songs, 'Vhay Youngraad Zhala' is lively and infuses a positive energy while 'Saye' is a soft rendition sung by Shashaa Tirupati and Hriday Gattani exploring the beauty of young love.

The climax is unexpected, but has only limited effect. Youngraad impresses you in bits and offers little in terms of convincing storytelling. Director Mane is much like the teenagers who lose their way and find themselves in a mess. This review is written with the objective of saving you from it.