“Yoda”: Perhaps the only saving grace of this quintessential film is Sidharth Malhotra.movie reviews

Siddharth Malhotra seems to have a patriotic bent in his movie roles and is particularly good in the roles of police officers and soldiers. This year, he is back with ‘Yodha’, helmed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha. Interestingly, ‘Yodha’ shares a familiar feel with ‘Shershaah’ despite having a well-defined storyline. The film revolves around the Indian Army’s task force ‘Yoda’ led by Arun Katiyal (Siddharth Malhotra) who has dedicated his life to the task force. Amidst two hijacking incidents, the story explores Katiyal’s portrayal as a true ‘Yoda’ who deals with these challenges.

After watching the movie, viewers may find themselves facing mixed emotions. Bollywood often relies on the same formula for its patriotic films, which usually revolve around hijackings and border skirmishes, and feature heroes who flout the rules and demonstrate unwavering patriotism. The same goes for Yoda.

Siddharth Malhotra takes center stage in the film and delivers a strong performance that carries the entire film. He completely immerses himself in his role, tackling fights, action sequences, romance and patriotic themes. His brooding demeanor, agility, and commanding screen presence seamlessly complement the film.

However, “Yoda” suffers from excessive sentimentality and lacks a proper storyline. Given that audiences are used to other hijacking films such as Bellbottom and Neerja, Yoda’s depiction of a hijacking seems rather sloppy.

Despite the film’s numerous elements, none of them seem to reach an effective climax. In this respect, ‘Shershaah’ is better than ‘Yodha’ as it successfully evokes empathy for the protagonist, but ‘Yodha’ may lack the connection between the viewer and the characters.

The film blends a variety of elements without drawing attention to any particular aspect. The effects of music and BGM are noticeable, especially BGM.

Along with Siddharth, Raashi Khanna and Disha Patani also play important roles in the film. They give decent performances, but their portrayals feel a bit scripted and rigid. Certain aerial scenes are visually impressive, and apart from Sidharth, his stunt sequences emerge as the film’s true standout moments.
For die-hard fans of Siddharth Malhotra and viewers who prefer a bit of a run-of-the-mill patriotic film, “Yodha” might be a treat.