As India’s government strides forward with initiatives to make air travel accessible to everyone, Mumbai’s silver screen undertakes a matching trajectory, propelling action into the stratosphere for the everyday viewer. Following the slipstream of aviation-themed movies like Runway 34, Tejas, Fighter, and Operation Valentine from Southern cinema, Yodha emerges as the latest addition, steering through a narrative jetstream of aerial thrills peppered with bouts of turbulence.
Under the directorial wings of the fresher pairing of Pushkar Ojha and Sagar Ambre, Yodha takes flight with its action sequences soaring high, captivating the audience with dynamic aerial combat that pushes the envelope. Lead actor Sidharth Malhotra, renowned for his undeniable screen magnetism and athletic prowess, demonstrates why he is considered an exhilarating new-age action figurehead. His portrayal channels an intensity well-suited to his uniformed protagonist who staunchly defies orders, a characteristic which does not require the bravado of a bare-chested avatar. Yet, Malhotra’s raw appeal and co-actor Rashii Khanna’s earnest endeavors to imbue depth into a potentially ordinary role are overshadowed by a plot that resembles an aircraft’s operations manual more than a cinematic script.
The movie’s choreographed physical confrontations hit their targets with precision, yet the script fails to land the emotional blows that are just as crucial for compelling storytelling. The script veers off course and its lifeline—a surprise element—fails to ignite, leaving the middle section of the movie struggling to maintain altitude and the climax unable to achieve the desired altitude of exhilaration. This shortfall suggests that Yodha might be more aptly served in the streaming marketplace, where the viewers’ engagement and sitting position are not as critical as in a theatrical environment.
Writer-director Ambre stitches the narrative with several intriguing plot twists, but the route plotted to these pivotal moments falters with underwhelming character development and a lack of compelling build-up. The same could be said for Disha Patani’s portrayal, which languishes under the premise that preserving a mysterious demeanor equates to a reserved performance. This choice disconnects the audience until the climactic reveal, at which point the action sequences, though charged with adrenaline, fail to enliven a sense of care for the characters’ fates.
While the film ambitiously endeavors to level the playing field regarding gender, by encircling its central male hero with strong women characters, it lands within formulaic territory. There’s an evident struggle to balance the contemporary push for equitable representation with the stereotypes these kinds of action movies are known to promote. Additionally, the political backdrop predating 2014 within the storyline provides an opportunity for creative exploration, which ends up feeling more like a scripted contrivance rather than a nuanced reflection of the era’s governing ideologies.
Currently on screens across India, Yodha’s depiction of the subplot involving an assassination plot to disrupt the India-Pakistan peace process feels like well-trodden cinematic ground. It is a narrative engine powered by tropes: a rogue insurgent, nebulous international conspiracies, and high-flying heroics. The movie doesn’t shy away from clichés, embracing them instead, and it is up to the audience to decide whether this familiar flight pattern diminishes or enhances their film experience.
Despite its quixotic blend of spectacle and predictability, Yodha provides a platform for Malhotra to further solidify his stance in the action genre. The question remains: can his wings alone lift this storyline above its formulaic cloud cover, or will it remain cruising at an elevation all too familiar to the discerning cinema-goer? As it stands, Yodha contributes to the burgeoning cinema trend of high-octane aerial action, albeit with a flight path that veers little from the expected route.
