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Yodha (2024 film)

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Yodha
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Sagar Ambre
  • Pushkar Ojha
Written bySagar Ambre
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJishnu Bhattacharjee
Edited byShivkumar V. Panicker
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byAA Films
Release date
  • 15 March 2024 (2024-03-15)
Running time
130 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹55 crore[3]
Box office₹52 crore[4]

Yodha (transl. Warrior) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha, written by Ambre, and produced by Amazon Prime Video, Dharma Productions and Mentor Disciple Entertainment.[5] The film stars Sidharth Malhotra, Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani.[6][7] Marking Mentor Disciple founder Shashank Khaitan's first collaboration with Malhotra, whose fellow debutantes Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan starred in Khaitan's first two films, it follows a disgraced commando's efforts to vindicate himself as he attempts to steer clear his name and restore lost glory to his father's titular elite task force while on a mission to prevent a passenger airplane from getting hijacked, years after a botched up rescue operation led to the task force being closed down.

After multiple release postponements, Yodha was theatrically released on 15 March 2024 to mixed reviews from critics and became a commercial failure.[8][9]

Plot

[edit]

Arun Katyal, son of martyred Major Surender Katyal, founder of the Yodha task force, takes up leadership of the task force after his father as he becomes an officer in the Indian Army. A para commando trained in land, water and air combat like the rest of the officers in the task force, he lives with his intelligence officer wife Priyamvada "Priya" Katyal and his mother, and has a sure friend and ally in fellow officer Sameer Khan. After a successful mission, he apologizes to Priya for disobeying commands from the intelligentsia. During a mission where he is unofficially assigned to the security of reputed nuclear scientist Dr. Anuj Nair, the flight gets hijacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists. Despite his best efforts to contain the terrorists until such time as the Yodha team, having been signaled to action, can intercept, however, he is kicked out of the plane while trying to protect Nair, whose identity is made known to the terrorists; Nair is later revealed to have been killed and his body returned to India with the flight despite the government agreeing to the terrorists' demands. An investigation is called on by the Indian government, with Yodha being suspended and its members scrambling to build alternate careers after Priya admits to Arun's violations despite his pleas. The suspension brings about a rift between them as Priya leaves Arun while taking his mother with her. Arun is considered a traitor by ministers and the general public.

Some years later, Arun, who is living a quiet, dubious life, is mysteriously redirected to board a different flight while at an airport. Once aboard, he strongly suspects a hijack attempt and seemingly kills one Amandeep Singh who he believes is a terrorist. However, before he can put two and two together with the help of fellow passenger Tanya Sharma, a flying expert, and flight attendant Laila Khalid, he is suddenly sabotaged and betrayed by Laila, who reveals herself to be the prime hijacker, with her brother Ahmed on board as pilot; Amandeep was actually an Indian officer and was poisoned by Laila, and she and Khalid are part of a Kashmiri secessionist group. An intense combat follows, with Arun managing to overpower and kill brother and sister while Tanya assumes control of the flight, during which time news is leaked to the Pakistani media that a rogue Indian Army officer has hijacked a flight to Islamabad and is targeting the India—Pakistan Peace Summit involving the Heads of State, projecting Arun in poor light.

Rafiq, a member of the Pakistani Head of State's consulate, initially brings the Pakistani security chief and the Indian Head of State, accompanied by Priya, who is also part of the summit and has been apprised of Arun's involvement in the hijack, to a control room to supervise the situation, but reveals in a twist after killing his own Head of State that he is opposed to the Peace Summit. He takes the Indian Head of State and Priya hostage and tries to blackmail Arun, who deduces that he is in fact Jalal, the terrorist who kicked him out of the flight containing Nair. After much deliberation and a conversation with Priya who realizes he hasn't gone rogue after all, Arun manages to save the flight from crashing into its target, a mosque where the Pakistani Head of State is presently offering prayers, with support from Tanya. Jalal and his men, in the meantime, occupy the Pakistani Head of State's Office and force the people out, killing counterterrorist officers from the Pakistani Army.

Arun arrives in the nick of time to eliminate the terrorists and manages to barge into the Office premises killing several of Jalal's men, but is shorted by Jalal when he holds the Indian Head of State and Priya at gunpoint. Forcing him to talk to Priya, Jalal details his ambitions to sustain terrorism in Kashmir, calling it a "business" he cannot afford to see collapsing; in a coded conversation, Arun realizes Priya hasn't signed the divorce papers and signals her the same way he did while trying to save Nair, ultimately overpowering Jalal and his men; Priya escapes with the Indian Head of State, unharmed, while the other Indian consulate members engage in combat to defend them. Arun manages to snap the detonator to the bombs in the premises out of Jalal's jacket and toss it to Priya, who disables it; Arun and Jalal engage in a one—to—one fight before the former impales the latter. When Jalal taunts Arun, claiming peace can never prevail in Kashmir, he shoots one of the explosives after tossing it mid—air and kills him, having survived an impactful blast, and reunites with Priya.

Days into the entire episode, in a mid-credits scene, the Indian Head of State officially reinstates the Yodha task force after Arun is rewarded for his bravery and actions.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The film is inspired by various aircraft hijackings in Indian history, particularly Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999.[10] Principal photography began on 27 November 2021 and would go on to include shootings in Delhi, Bhopal, Manali, Pune and Ladakh.[11][12][13] On 18 December 2021, Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani were announced as the leading actresses.[14][15] In December 2021, Patani wrapped up her portion of the shoot and wrote a rap song for Badshah.[16][17] In March 2022, Raashii Khanna wrapped up her portions.[18] Later, Tanuj Virwani was cast in a prominent role.[19]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Yodha
Soundtrack album by
Tanishk Bagchi, Vishal Mishra, B Praak, Aditya Dev and John Stewart Eduri
Released15 March 2024
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length20:49
LanguageHindi
LabelT-Series
Official audio
Yodha (Full Album) on YouTube

The music of the film is composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Vishal Mishra, B Praak, Aditya Dev and John Stewart Eduri while lyrics are written by Manoj Muntashir, Jaani, Kunaal Vermaa, Vishal Mishra and Kaushal Kishore.[20] The first single titled "Zindagi Tere Naam" was released on 24 February 2024.[21] The second single titled "Tere Sang Ishq Hua" was released on 7 March 2024.[22]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Zindagi Tere Naam"Kaushal Kishore, Vishal MishraVishal MishraVishal Mishra3:28
2."Qismat Badal Di"JaaniB Praak, Aditya DevAmmy Virk, B Praak5:09
3."Tere Sang Ishq Hua"Kunaal VermaaTanishk BagchiArijit Singh, Neeti Mohan3:38
4."Tiranga"Manoj MuntashirTanishk BagchiB Praak4:22
5."Zindagi Tere Naam" (Soul Version)Kaushal Kishore, Vishal MishraVishal MishraVishal Mishra3:00
6."Yodha Theme"-John Stewart Eduri-1:12
Total length:20:49

Release

[edit]

Theatrical

[edit]

The film was scheduled to be released on 7 July 2023.[23] The film was then postponed to 8 December 2023 and finally released on 15 March 2024.[8]

Home media

[edit]

The film was premiered on Amazon Prime Video from 10 May 2024.[24]

Reception

[edit]

Yodha received mixed reviews from critics.[25] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 58% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.8/10.[26]

Bollywood Hungama critic gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Yodha is not the usual hijack film and features a fine performance; however, it is quite technical and confusing."[27] NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee rated the film 1.5/5 and wrote "No matter how lenient you might want to be and how much of a Sidharth Malhotra fan you are, this pulpy action movie is a bumpy ride that lurches from one misstep to another."[28]

Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave 2.5/5 stars and observed "A light-footed Sidharth single-handedly going at the baddies is a slick sight. Armed in swag, sunglasses and slow motion, the man is more than fit for the job. And it's on his charm and rugged shoulders that Yodha shamelessly rests".[29]

Anupama Chopra, in her review for Film Companion said that "Yodha is a cheesy, chest-thumping, low-on-logic thriller that rides brazenly to a crowd-pleasing finale, mostly on the shoulders of a solid Sidharth Malhotra."[30] Rishil Jogani of Pinkvilla rated the film 2.5/5 and opined that "Yodha has redeemable qualities and offers thrills too but the film in totality is a tiresome watch, full of clichés, cheesy dialogues and overused tropes."[31]

Other media

[edit]

The marketing of the film included a tie-in comic by Pratilipi Comics, Adventures of Yodha: The Case of the Missing Ship, written by Akash Pathak and illustrated by Ayantika Roy.[32]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Meant to depict the prime minister of India.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Fuente, Anna Marie de la (3 October 2023). "Amazon Studios Now Called Amazon MGM Studios, Exec Pablo Iacoviello Reveals in Iberseries Keynote (EXCLUSIVE)". Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Yodha (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 18 February 2024. Archived from the original on 18 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ "'Yodha' review: Twitterati praise Sidharth Malhotra's performance in action thriller as 'phenomenal'". The Economic Times. 15 March 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Yodha Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Karan Johar unveils first look of Sidharth Malhotra from action-drama 'Yodha'". The New Indian Express. ANI. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Disha Patani, Raashii Khanna to star opposite Sidharth Malhotra in action film Yodha". India Today. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Yodha: Disha Patani And Raashii Khanna Join Sidharth Malhotra In New Film". NDTV. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Yodha release date changes ONCE AGAIN! Sidharth Malhotra starrer to now release on March 15, 2024". Bollywood Hungama. 7 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Raashii Khanna Blames Yodha's Eventual OTT Release For Its Box Office Failure: 'People Are Occupied...'". CNN-News18. 3 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Nationalist Hindi Films' Impact on Elections". Livemint. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  11. ^ Yodha. Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha. Dharma Productions. (end credits)
  12. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra starts shooting for 'Yodha'". The Times of India. 27 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  13. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra starts shooting for Yodha 'with a bang', Karan Johar shares glimpse". Bollywood Hungama. 27 November 2021. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  14. ^ "CONFIRMED: Disha Patani and Raashii Khanna to feature alongside Sidharth Malhotra in Yodha; to release on November 11, 2022". Bollywood Hungama. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Disha Patani, Raashii Khanna 'ready to take off' with Sidharth Malhotra in action film Yodha". The Indian Express. 18 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Disha Patani finishes filming for 'Yodha". The Hindu. 27 December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Yodha: Disha Patani And Sidharth Malhotra Had This Much Fun On The Sets". NDTV. 27 December 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Raashi Khanna completes filming of upcoming Hindi film 'Yodha' - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Tanuj Virwani reveals details of his role in Sidharth Malhotra-starrer 'Yodha'". www.daijiworld.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  20. ^ "CBFC | Search Film". www.cbfcindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  21. ^ "Yodha song Zindagi Tere Naam: Sidharth Malhotra romances Raashii Khanna. Watch". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Yodha Song Tere Sang Ishq Hua: Romance blossoms between Sidharth Malhotra and Raashii Khanna".
  23. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra to lead Karan's action franchise with Yodha. Film releases on Nov 11, 2022". India Today. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  24. ^ "Prime Video announces the global streaming premiere of Sidharth Malhotra starrer Yodha". Bollywood Hungama. 10 May 2024. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Yodha Box Office Collection Day 1: Sidharth Malhotra's Film Gets A Flying Start". NDTV. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025. Yodha opened to largely mixed reviews.
  26. ^ "Yodha". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  27. ^ Bollywood Hungama News Network (15 March 2024). "Yodha Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama.
  28. ^ "Yodha Review: Insufferable Scrappy Thriller". NDTV. 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Yodha Review: Sturdy Sidharth Malhotra To The Rescue". Rediff. 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Yodha Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  31. ^ "Yodha Movie Review". Pinkvilla. 15 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Sidharth Malhotra launches 'Yodha' graphic novel with Pratilipi Comics". AnimationXpress. 14 March 2024. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
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