No, Yashoda is not a true story but based on real world crimes involving the surrogacy mafia and the unethical practices in the shadowy world of surrogacy. Yashoda is a 2022 Telugu-language medical-action thriller starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the title role, alongside Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Sampath Raj, Rao Ramesh, Shatru and Murali Sharma. The movie has been written and directed by the duo of Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan.
Yashoda is inspired by the dark realities of surrogacy rackets and ethical concerns in surrogacy. However, the movie is not based on any particular true story and does not depict any specific event.
Plot Summary
Yashoda, a young woman from a modest background, desperately needs money to fund a critical operation for her younger sister. Consequently, she agrees to become a surrogate mother in exchange for money. She is moved to Eva, a state-of-the-art luxurious surrogacy facility run by the enigmatic Madhu.
Yashoda settles in the facility and is impressed with the opulent rooms, gourmet food and attentive doctors. However, strange incidents like women mysteriously disappearing after going into labour and unexplained accidents catch the attention of Yashoda. Her curiosity turns into suspicion and she uncovers a sinister conspiracy involving surrogacy rackets, unethical experiments and ties to the global cosmetics industry exploiting women.
Parallel to Yashoda’s exploits in the facility, the police is conducting an investigation into a series of mysterious deaths of celebrities and influential figures. The investigation establishes a link between the deaths and an unknown drug.
As Yashoda digs deeper, she finds herself in mortal danger and is forced to fight for her life, while exposing the horrific truth behind Eva. The movie gradually builds up to intense action sequences, revelations and a climax where Yashoda battles the evil forces behind the scandal.
Bottom Line
During pre-release promotions, the writer-director duo of Hari Shankar and Harish Narayan stated that the core plot of the movie depicts a hidden societal crime which happens without the knowledge of the society. However, they added, the movie features fictional twists, dramatic events and psychological thriller elements to have a cinematic impact on the audience.