Sharpening that warrior instinct

Updated On: 06 March, 2024 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu

Yodha directors Sagar and Pushkar break down how Sidharth prepped for six months, perfecting knife-fight and hand-to-hand combat sequences in confined spaces, for the hijack thriller

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A still from the film

Sidharth Malhotra has forged a bond with action movies after Shershaah (2021). It’s not surprising then that he followed up the war drama with Mission Majnu (2023), Indian Police Force and now, Yodha. But the upcoming hijack thriller, backed by Karan Johar, is worlds apart from the actor-filmmaker’s last collaboration, Shershaah. The leading man says, “Yodha is fictitious whereas Shershaah was based on a real-life war hero. Yodha’s plot hinges on a stressful situation—who do you save, yourself or your countrymen? It delves into the quick-thinking mind of soldiers, their discipline and selflessness. The men in uniform have a protective instinct, and that spirit is captured in the film.”

Debutant director duo Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha’s thriller—also starring Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani—showcases how a suspended officer of the special unit, Yodha Task Force, takes on a group of hijackers. Considering a chunk of Yodha is set inside an aircraft, Ojha says the action required months of meticulous planning. “We storyboarded the idea to the finest detail. Then, a fight choreographer sat with us and added to it. When Sidharth entered the scene, he first did the action on a mock set,” he recalls.

Pushkar Ojha and Sagar Ambre