Yudhra Movie Review : Cutting-edge action salvages this meandering crime drama

Synopsis: A tragic past turns Yudhra (Siddhant Chaturvedi) into an eccentric young man with anger issues. He finds momentary solace in childhood sweetheart, Nikhat (Malavika Mohanan) but gets embroiled in the criminal activities of a drug cartel that leads him to a shocking truth.

Review: Siddhant Chaturvedi (as Yudhra) amps up his inner MC Sher to portray a hothead battling daddy issues and strange love for lizards. He gets triggered at the drop of a hat but has his heart in the right place. As an out-and-out mercurial action hero, he pulls off the angry young man with a twist convincingly despite his innocent baby face. He may not look menacing but packs a punch.

Yudhra finds ruthless adversaries in drug lord Firoz (Raj Arjun) and his son Shafiq (Raghav Juyal). The former hams a bit but Raghav has quickly emerged as one of the most interesting antagonists in recent times. On the heels of violent action thriller ‘Kill’ comes yet another striking performance from the dancer-turned-actor who knows how to play the freak. Ram Kapoor plays a suspicious cop and Gajraj Rao, Yudhra’s father.

The cutting-edge action serves as the film’s backbone and its biggest asset. The music store sequence featuring Malavika, Siddhant and Raghav is one of the finest action scenes in a Bollywood movie. The bicycle parkour scene is nerve-racking too. Action director Nick Powell, known for his work in Gladiator, has worked on the movie and the action choreography keeps you on tenterhooks for a reason. It is intense, gripping and integral to storytelling. The film is technically sound. You appreciate the neurotic world building and the unique background score, but the story lacks emotional heft.

Though the posters may mislead you into believing that this is an old school crime drama (belonging to the Vaastav era), Yudhra is far from that. It is contemporary in nature. You wish it had the compelling structure of its predecessors where the angry young man had a cause to rebel. Even with aimless anger, a film can find its footing and Yudhra shows ample promise but doesn’t quite capitalize on its intentional sankiness (insanity). The first half builds momentum and creates an anticipation of a solid twist, but the second half douses its own fire before things could get all heated. The film never reaches the tipping point despite showing promise and that’s frustrating.

Director Ravi Udyawar uses action and violence as cinematic language to give you that rage room effect. The style and stunts are on point, but the story meanders. Characters are skillfully created, and their swagger ensures there’s not a single dull moment. Siddhant and Malavika look great but lack the chemistry required to establish their connect.

Be it Bloody Daddy, Kill and now Yudhra. It’s interesting to see Bollywood going full throttle in action. But action doesn’t need to be devoid of emotions.