Yodha ( Action Thriller/ 2024/ Cinema Release)
Writer – Sagar Ambre
Director – Sagar Ambre, Pushkar Ojha
Cast – Siddharth Malhotra, Raashi Khanna, Disha Patani
Dharma Production’s show “Show Time” emphasised a very important fact through one of its dialogues, that good box office numbers and a good movie might not necessarily be synonymous. They are entirely different parameters that might sometimes overlap. But numbers are important. And therefore we would have massy cinema that caters to audience’s adrenaline, even if it has gaping holes in story or logic . It also emphasised that hero would also remain the most important entity in massy Bollywood fare. And what sells is what matters.
Yodha is a film that would be lapped up by audience, as I could gather by the full house cinema in the evening show and by the claps and cheers of the audience ,which of course we were not a party to. But let me clarify that it is not a bad film. It boasts of Sidhharth in terrific form and some slick action too. But what it lacked was clear writing, which I feel was over compensated by heavy doses of aeronautics (which of course I couldn’t understand much of ) and hijack protocols ( which didn’t match up with the prior knowledge imparted to me by earlier Bollywood films). At the risk of being taunted for not understanding the film just because we haven’t ever flown an aircraft (Of course this is a tongue in cheek reminder of Sidharth Anand’s jab at audience for lacklustre response to Fighter ), I would say that the Tikku Talsania in me kept asking me “Ye ho kya Raha hai ?” . People with some background of defence protocols, aviation sector or aeronautics might be in a better position to punch holes in my opinion.
Arun Katiyal ( Siddharth) is a part of a special task force whose career is hijacked by a Hijack and brought on track by another Hijack.
By the time the film ends , those haywire hijack protocols were so drilled into us that the audience could volunteer too in case the situation arises God forbid. The poor Pakistanis ( not that I have any sympathy with them with respect to the Kashmir issue ), have thankfully been shown in better light. Besides the terrorists, at least their statesmen aren’t painted black or silly ( This time they chose to award that honour to our people) .But we love trumping Pakistanis in our films. So we had an Indian Yodha who rescued them right in their own secretariat.
Besides other complaints, another important one is that they gave us a saree clad Disha, with just about a minute of stunt time. I am sure the girl was capable of using her acting prowess in a scene where they relied more on a different hairstyle instead.
The writers were so busy adding thrills, that they failed to convince if the aviation authorities have any protocols whatsoever. Nevertheless they do give some trumping moments , a Hero that emerges victorious despite all odds, despite logic and despite earth’s gravitational force. But then if we can enjoy something similar in many Hollywood flicks, why pick faults here.
I know none of you would believe me if I say the film was not that bad. It does hold your attention even if you are at a little loss to understand or agree with what’s gong on. It had a great potential, if only they had worked a little harder on the nuances. As I have said, it boasts of Siddharth In superb form ,besides having some great action. You could give it a go if you are his die hard fan or if you love action thrillers and if you aren’t in the habit of nit picking.
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