Yodha

If I were asked to summarise Yodha in a single word, it would be generic. The protagonist is a disobedient and impulsive army official who can do no wrong and can single-handedly fend off heavy artillery with ease. The antagonists are paper-thin characters whose sole purpose is to spread terror and capture Kashmir(of course!). The action sequences are steeped in nationalism, patriotism and machismo. Oh, and not to mention the physics-defying superhuman stunts. If these are the qualities you are looking for in a movie, have at it, but its tiresome to see the lack of novelty and artistry in Bollywood action films today.

Let us give credit where its due - Siddharth Malhotra is by far the strongest asset of the film, and has a natural aura and charisma that is palpable every time he is onscreen, whether he is punching and shooting his way through the barrage of terrorists raining down on him or sharing a heartfelt moment with his wife. His sheer commitment to the role of Arun Katyal may compel you to forgive some of the nonsensical aspects of the plot. The action is also choreographed and shot surprisingly well, especially considering the modest budget of the movie.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast does not match Malhotra's level of performance. Disha Patani plays Laila, an air hostess aboard the hijacked flight and reaffirms that her acting isn't still on par with her beauty. Rashi Khanna looks and feels clueless in her performance as Priya Katyal, Arun's wife. The rest of the supporting cast is also disappointing.

The writing is undeniably formulaic and predictable. There is some intrigue and suspense that is established towards the end of the first half of the film. I was interested to see the direction in which the second half would go. Disappointingly, the second half is as predictable as it gets. Attempted twists that fall flat, action that gets tedious as the film progresses and the dialogue is inexcusably bad. It all felt like a missed opportunity to create something genuinely different and unique.

Overall, Yodha is a forgettable aerial thriller that is saved by Siddharth Malhotra's charismatic performance and some decently filmed action.

It may not have done well at the box office, but it will definitely do well in the hearts of his fans. Sid is back with another political/thriller/action type of movie. He has definitely found his niche after the massive success of shershah and i dont blame him for trying to rack up a few movies from this genre onto his resume. He does what is expected of him, and he does it well. He has come a long way from soty. Disha is the suprise package in this and with some meatier roles, she has a good change of becoming the queen bee in a few years. Rashi khanna is irrelevant in her role. There are a few good action sequences and some supense, the later half of the movie drags a bit but overall a good effort and a fun watch.

This movie is about a special unit in the Indian Armed Forces that specializes in dealing with extreme situations, mainly counter-terrorism. The story is written in an extremely good way, with plot points being revealed slowly throughout the movie.

However, the screenplay is bogus. The makers have tried to portray the lead actor in a larger-than-life role where he kills people half a mile away with his pistol! Moreover, there are plot loopholes that are quite laughable. For example, the Prime Minister of India is visiting a foreign country (especially a hostile one), and all the bodyguards are so incompetent that they are killed off and shot by the terrorists. The Prime Minister and the Principal Secretary are alone with the terrorists, which shows how lowly the makers think about the Indian Armed Forces. Due to these loopholes, this movie could not become a cult classic action movie, and the hard work done by the actors went off the drain. I would recommend watching this movie once, but never twice.

Yodha a name that in itself inspires magnetism and people fill the Hall with an expectation of an action packed drama. The film stands up on this measure, it is filled with actions scenes but the makers in their over eagerness have tried to fit all the action plot points that can happen in this amalgamation. Often viewers question the logic and rationality behind the scene. Often the villains and their goons perform stupid actions only for explosive glamour. Often Siddharth Malhotra utters a dialogue which he believes will be a sensation only for it to fall flat and forgettable. Forgettable and predictable can aptly describe the plot and though there are silver linings that account for surprise, mirth and excitement , they are too far few to engross the viewer and hush conversations in the hall. Such plots without fail entice conversations on their veracity, feasibility and practicality.

Every country has its special forces, and I'm sure every nation on Earth likes to think that theirs are a bit more special than most. Yodha seems to be the Indian version of the SAS (whether they really are, or were made up for the film, I don't know).

Just about every film about special services centres round an inividual who's jolly good at killing bad guys, but whose disregard of protocol annoys his superiors. Then an operation goes wrong (not our hero's fault, but he's conveniently placed to take the blame). He's suspended.

Then the film moves to the main event. Our hero is drawn into something really big. Not only that, he's set up to make it look as though he's gone rogue, so that even his former comrades are out to get him. Yada, yada yada, shoot-out, big explosion, guess who saves the day and is reinstated?

It's a tried and trusted formula, which needs a certain amount of style to lift it out of the very ordinary. James Bond has this style; John Wick has this style; Arnie had it in his earlier films. Yodha doesn't.

The fight scenes are well-choreographed, but the pulse doesn't race. The twists aren't too difficult to see coming; the hero's relationship problems are a yawn.

This isn't a bad film, but it's formulaic, predictable and - for all its action sequences - pedestrian. Oh, and the villain's disappointingly short on charisma.

This is also the first film I've seen that had an actual interval in the cinema since Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.