Rating: ⭐⭐
“Yudhra,” directed by Ravi Udyawar, starts off with a bang, promising intense action and a gripping narrative, but loses its spark as it progresses. Siddhant Chaturvedi plays Yudhra, a man haunted by a traumatic past and driven by rage, which initially sets the stage for an engaging revenge saga. The first half delivers high-octane action, with well-choreographed fight sequences that keep the excitement alive. Yudhra’s journey from childhood tragedy to becoming an undercover agent tasked with dismantling the drug cartel responsible for his parent’s death is gripping at first.
Chaturvedi shines in the action scenes, his physical presence suitable to that of a disturbed and aggressive young man. However, as the story unfolds and peels off layer after layer to unmask his emotional core, the performance does not quite come across in terms of the enormity of Yudhra’s inner turmoil. Malavika Mohanan, who plays Nikhat, has much more to her, but chemistry with Chaturvedi does not quite sizzle on screen.
Raghav Juyal does well as Shafiq, giving much weight to the character, but his role needs to be more explored, especially in the second half. Support also comes from Gajraj Rao and Ram Kapoor, though their characters could have been more fleshed out. Raj Arjun as the villain of this film is menacing enough, but the story falls into predictability, and there’s little to give him much to do beyond that of a standard antagonist.
The action sequences formed the core of the film by Federico Cueva, original imaginative fight scenes using everyday objects that were pedestrian in their grasp. The fighting was exciting no matter how intriguing the settings but the movie ground to a halt in the second half. Such a tense plot slowly unfolded to become something predictably dreadful and drift towards a rather dreary climax which became a missed opportunity rather than a grand showdown.
At best, “Yudhra” delivers some adrenaline-pumping action, but it is all a style-over-substance affair. Fans of Siddhant Chaturvedi will enjoy his action-filled moments, though the predictable plot and underdeveloped emotional arcs leave the film hollow. It’s a decent one-time watch for the action lovers but don’t expect much depth beyond fights. If you’re into expert cinematography and art design, there might be something for you to appreciate. However, if you’re looking for more than just visual flair, there’s little to connect with.
Ravi Udyawar makes an effort to evoke the classic revenge-driven films of the ’70s and ’80s, where a tough, angry hero takes on his enemies only to discover the real threat is closer than expected. Unfortunately, the suspense and tension fall apart in the second half. Jay Oza’s cinematography is a standout, especially his use of red to symbolize Yudhra’s rage and thirst for revenge. There’s a touch of comic book and anime inspiration in the way the action is shot, and the stunts are crafted with skill and precision. However, aside from the romantic track “Saathiya” by Vishal Mishra and Pratibha Singh Baghel, the soundtrack doesn’t leave much of an impression.
A few years ago, Yudhra might have been easier to enjoy, but today’s audiences expect more depth in both characters and stories. Even if this was meant to be a straightforward, rage-fueled action film, it still needed a stronger screenplay and more thoughtful execution to truly hit the mark.
