movie reviews

Yodha Movie Review: Sidharth Malhotra’s Action Thriller Intrigues You With Twisted Narrative & Adrenaline-Pumping Action Scenes!

March 15, 2024

156 4 minutes read

Yodha Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Raashii Khanna, Disha Patani, Ronit Roy, Sunny Hinduja

Director: Sagar Ambre & Pushkar Ojha

Yodha Movie Review Out. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

What’s Good: The action sequences and the twisted story

What’s Bad: The confusing first 30 minutes

Loo Break: You can take one during the first 30 minutes because you don’t want to miss everything that happens later.

Watch or Not?: If you want to be tripping over good action scenes, watch it!

Language: Hindi

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 133 Minutes

User Rating:

Following in the footsteps of his late father, Surender Katyal (Ronit Roy), Arun Katyal (Sidharth Malhotra) joins the Yodha Task Force. Arun’s critical mission during the Amritsar plane hijack, where his efforts tragically led to the death of a passenger, resulted in the dissolution of the Yodha task force. A few years later, Arun finds himself on another hijacked plane. However, his former coworkers and the government suspect him of orchestrating the hijack as a form of revenge for the Yodha Task Force’s dismissal. Is Arun the villain as portrayed, or is there more to the story? We find out everything eventually.

Yodha Movie Review Out. (Photo Credit – Dharma Productions/Youtube)

Yodha Movie Review: Script Analysis

Sagar Ambre has penned the story for Sidharth Malhotra’s action thriller film. The initial 30 minutes may appear slightly disjointed as events unfold out of nowhere. However, Sidharth’s entry scene is filled with adrenaline-pumping action, which builds hope that’s the kind of action we might see further. Even the Amritsar hijack directly starts with Arun already carrying out the mission. We never know how the plane was hijacked. As a result, it raises concerns about the movie’s coherence moving forward. Thankfully, that doesn’t happen.

The narrative picks up momentum as the hijacking of the Delhi-London flight unfolds. Arun’s transition from confusion to alertness, along with the flight crew and passengers’ reactions and suspicions, intensifies the tension in the story. The uncertainty surrounding Arun’s intention—whether he’s a villain or the hero depicted in the first 30 minutes—keeps you captivated. Sidharth Malhotra’s film has not one but multiple twists every 20 minutes. While some may be predictable, the excitement lies in knowing how Arun navigates through this chaos to rescue those in the air and on the ground.

Yodha Movie Review Out. (Photo Credit – Dharma Productions/Youtube)

Craig Macrae, the film’s action director, crafts breathtaking action sequences for us to enjoy. He meticulously choreographed and thoroughly entertained us with the fight scenes. One of my favourite scenes in Yodha is when the plane takes a 360-degree rotation. You can’t help but marvel at the brilliant camerawork and execution. Another standout moment is the scene between Disha Patani and Sidharth Malhotra in the cockpit, which adds another layer of excitement.

Yodha Movie Review: Star Performance

Sidharth Malhotra always looks striking in a uniform. After Shershaah, the actor again plays a character willing to do anything to save his country. Sidharth is phenomenal in portraying Arun Katyal with incredible passion, courage, and resilience. His performance shines, particularly in the gripping action sequences. Raashii Khanna initially impresses as Priyamvada Katyal, but her character fizzles out in the story. Yet, she does a good job with whatever is expected of her.

Disha Patani plays a pivotal role in the movie. Anything more I say will be a spoiler, but these are the kind of characters that truly suit her. Sunny Hinduja is another actor who delivers a promising performance.

Yodha Movie Review Out. (Photo Credit – Dharma Productions/Youtube)

Yodha Movie Review: Direction, Music

Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha have teamed up for Yodha, a riveting story with some shortcomings. It’s baffling why neither of them noticed the disjointed nature of the narrative in the first 30 minutes. However, once the second hijack unfolds, they often succeed in immersing us in the chaos happening on the plane and the movie as a whole. Even though some of the twists are silly, they’re still enjoyable.

Yodha features one romantic song and two background tracks—a wise choice by the filmmakers not to overcrowd the movie with songs. The action sequences and the thrilling story are enough to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Yodha Movie Review: The Last Word

Overall, the delightfully twisted narrative, characters, and breathtaking action sequences make for an immensely enjoyable experience. Sidharth Malhotra’s action adventure resembles a plane journey; while the takeoff may not be smooth, as the journey progresses, it draws you in. Despite some turbulence in the narrative, eventually, you’ll be glad you ventured on this exhilarating ride.

3 Stars!