Cutting-edge action saves this meandering crime drama

Review: Siddhant Chaturvedi (as Yudhra) channels his inner MC Sher, playing a hothead struggling with daddy issues and a strange love for lizards. He is irritable at every little thing, but his heart is in the right place. A thoroughly moody action hero, he convincingly plays the angry young man with a surprising twist despite his innocent baby face. He may not look menacing, but he packs a punch.

Yudhra finds ruthless opponents in drug lord Firoz (Raj Arjun) and his son Shafiq (Raghav Juyal). The former goes a little overboard, but Raghav has quickly proven himself to be one of the most interesting antagonists in recent times. Hot on the heels of the brutal action thriller Kill, the dancer-turned-actor delivers another impressive performance that knows how to play the monster. Ram Kapoor plays a suspicious cop and Gajraj Rao, Yudhra's father.

The cutting edge action is the film's backbone and greatest strength. The music store sequence involving Malavika, Siddhant and Raghav is one of the best action scenes in a Bollywood film. The bike parkour scene is also nerve-wracking. Action director Nick Powell, known for his work in Gladiator, has worked on the film and the action choreography keeps you on the edge of your seat for good reason. It is intense, gripping and integral to the storytelling. The film is technically flawless. One appreciates the neurotic world building and the unique background score, but the story lacks emotional weight.

Though the posters might mislead you into thinking it's an old-school (Vaastav-era) crime drama, Yudhra is far from that. It's contemporary. One wishes it had the engaging structure of its predecessors, where the angry young man had a reason to rebel. Even aimless anger can give a film a foothold, and Yudhra is promising but fails to properly capitalize on its deliberate madness (craziness). The first half builds momentum and makes you expect a solid twist, but the second half extinguishes its own fire before things can get really heated. The film, despite its promise, never reaches the turning point, and that's frustrating.

Director Ravi Udyawar uses action and violence as a cinematic language to create a rage room effect. Style and stunts are on point but the story meanders along. The characters are skillfully created and their strutting ensures that there is not a single dull moment. Siddhant and Malavika look great but lack the necessary chemistry to create a bond between them.

Be it Bloody Daddy, Kill and now Yudhra. It's interesting to see Bollywood go full throttle in action. But action doesn't have to be without emotion.