Excel Entertainment’s Yudhra (UA) is the story of an orphan who has anger management issues.
Yudhra (Siddhant Chaturvedi) is born minutes after his mother dies at childbirth because she and her police officer-husband have met with a devastating road accident. Two friends — Kartik (Gajraj Rao) and Rehman (Ram Kapoor) — of Yudhra’s father look after Yudhra, the former adopting him as his son. Yudhra has anger management issues. Being a police officer, Rehman asks Kartik to make Yudhra use his anger fruitfully by training as a military man. Rehman then asks Yudhra to be his informer about drug lord Firoze (Raj Arjun) who had replaced Sikandar when the latter had left India to escape the arm of law. Rehman also tells Yudhra that the so-called accident that had claimed the lives of his parents was actually a pre-planned murder by drug lord Sikandar.
Yudhra gets on the job but is it so easy? Meanwhile, Yudhra and Rehman’s daughter, Nikhat (Malavika Mohanan), fall in love.
What happens finally? Is Rehman able to achieve his mission to wipe out drug lord Firoze by using intel provided by Yudhra? Is Yudhra able to deliver? Do Yudhra and Nikhat live happily ever after? What is the truth behind the deaths of Yudhra’s biological parents?
Shridhar Raghavan has written a story and screenplay, which appear scattered more than cohesive. Why Yudhra is always angry with his foster father (Kartik) is not explained. This anger begs logic because Yudhra seems to be perfectly alright in his interactions with Rehman. Even Yudhra and Nikhat’s relationship and romance have not been developed properly. The lava of anger within Yudhra seems to be created so that the writer can fall upon it whenever he finds it convenient — at least, this is the impression the viewer gets. The suspense about the password to open the file made by Rehman is hardly nail-biting. Even the revelation of another suspense angle, in the climax, does not have the desired impact if only because it is tame and also quite obvious for many among the audience. All in all, the screenplay never really offers edge-of-the-seat thrills, something which it should’ve definitely offered. Farhan Akhtar and Akshat Ghildial’s dialogues are not half as exciting as they ought to have been.
Siddhant Chaturvedi is so-so in the title role. He is unable to carry the burden of the film on his shoulders. Malavika Mohanan does not generate sympathy or fondness, in the role of Nikhat. Gajraj Rao does an average job as Kartik and his performance seems to be devoid of fire. Ram Kapoor is ordinary in the role of Rehman. Raj Arjun is alright as Firoze. Raghav Juyal makes an impressive mark with his eccentric acting in the role of Shafiq. Shilpa Shukla is good in a brief role as the senior police officer. Joao Mario is ordinary as Sikandar. Others provide average support.
Ravi Udyawar’s direction is fair. Given the routine and not-so-engrossing script, he has narrated the subject reasonably well. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music (Sohni lagdi song composed by Prem-Hardeep) is fair. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics (with Raj Ranjodh’s lyrics for Sohni lagdi) are okay. Choreography (by Bosco-Caesar for Sohni lagdi, and Piyush-Shazia for Hatt ja baju) is quite alright. Sanchit and Ankit Balhara’s background music is wonderful. Jay Pinak Oza’s cinematography (with additional cinematography by Manush Nandan for the Sohni lagdi song) is excellent. Action and stunt scenes (choreographed by Federico Cueva and Sunil Rodrigues; additional action by Nicholas Powell) are suitably thrilling and exciting. Rupin Suchak’s production designing, and Karan Gupta and Bharat Jain’s art direction are appropriate. Tushar Parekh and Anand Subaya’s editing (with additional editing by Tushar Shivan) is quite crisp.
On the whole, Yudhra is too ordinary to do anything substantive at the box-office. It has taken a good start because of the National Cinema Day when admission rates are lower than usual, but it cannot be expected to have a long run at the cinemas.
Released on 20-9-’24 at Inox (daily 5 shows) and other cinemas of Bombay thru AA Films. Publicity: good. Opening: so-so (thanks to the National Cinema Day today). …….Also released all over. Opening was fair (aided by National Cinema Day).