Aannndd we’re back with another movie where Siddharth Malhotra plays an Indian defense officer and saves the day. It’s starting to feel repetitive right? Ruko zara, sabar karo. It is also the third movie this year in which Pakistani terrorists are willing to do anything for Kashmir. Honestly, so tired of this trope now. But the only good thing about ‘Yodha’ is that it is entertaining if you’re looking for some cheap thrills. Also kinda fits how the plot is turbulent considering half the movie is shot inside a plane, lol. But yeah, while I was actually starting to get convinced by the thriller elements of the movie, it only turned out to be a masala action flick in the end.
Plot
Toh wahi ghisi-piti trope ko continue karte hue, Arun Katyal, our badass, but over-smart commando gets suspended for a mission failure and is demoted to be a flight officer. And very conveniently, he finds himself on a plane that gets hijacked with similarities to those of his failed mission. But, what if you’re left wondering if Arun himself is the hijacker? That’s where it gets fun. Movie shuru hote hi samajh jaoge ki entertainment toh bhar ke hai. But ye bhi samajh jaoge ki it is illogical ultra pro max. And that really kills the experience. You’ll find yourself facepalming more than enjoying the cheap thrills. Kuch parts toh disappointing se zyada childish lagte hai and the number of ‘Kuch bhi??’ moments in this movie is unreal.
Performances
Siddharth Malhotra is the pilot of ‘Yodha’ all the way. Just like in Shershaah, Sid completely rocks in the army uniform- the rizz is unreal bro. Ab toh aadat si hai usko, aise jeene mein after all. But we don’t get to see Shershah waali range here. He’s either a simp or kicking asses– nothing in between… and that makes his act boring. Also, Disha Patani may make us weak in the knees, but her acting surely doesn’t. She seems almost expressionless till the very Character development? Error 404: Not found. I was NOT moved. Meh. Raashii Khanna does have her shining moments though. Loved her emotional scenes especially.
Direction and Writing
Now, here’s where things get a bit shaky. Like, there are moments when you see that the directors are trying to do something out of the box. But just when you’re getting impressed, the movie dumps you with duniya bhar ke cliches. Also, the movie lacks emotional depth in a lot of places. Like, I was cringing so hard in a serious divorce scene??? Also, the first 20 minutes are straight-up horrible. Almost wanted to leave the theatre cuz it felt like a B-grade action movie. It picks up the standard significantly after that though, but still, aisa lagta hai ki we’re watching nothing new– just the same story with a variety of twists. Uske upar se it feels kaafi rushed, one minute you’re trying to empathize with the fractured relationship of Sid and his wife, but before you even get to the bottom of it, there’s another bomb dropping somewhere else. All in all, kaafi chaotic.
Screenplay and Cinematography
I think jitni low-effort writing hai, utni hi badhiya screenplay hai movie ki. I knew the emotional moments weren’t hitting the mark, I saw the plot twists coming from a mile away, but I was still invested in the movie. So gotta give credit to them for that. The action is pretty solid and keeps you pumped up throughout the movie. The cinematography is good, but the VFX is mid. Ye movie RCB ki tarah hai, ek department sahi karti hai toh do aur kharab ho jaate hai. But yeah, even if the storyline falls short in the end, Yodha is a visual treat to the eyes, with its spectacular cinematography and well…really hot actors, lol.
So finally, the question is should you watch it on the big screen? Or wait for an OTT release? I’d suggest the second option. And please don’t expect some crazy plot twists or mind-bending action. Theek-thak si movie hai, so go for it only if you’re craving some cheap thrills. It was disappointing for me though.
