'Yodha' box office: Sidharth Malhotra's actioner off to underwhelming start
What's the story
Despite the hype it generated ahead of its release, Yodha, led by Sidharth Malhotra, had a disappointing start at the box office.
Per Sacnilk, it only managed to rake in Rs. 4.25cr (India nett) on its opening day on Friday.
Compounding its struggle was the simultaneous release of Adah Sharma's Bastar: The Naxal Story.
Moreover, Yodha faced stiff competition from the occult thriller Shaitaan, which was released on March 8 and has raked in Rs. 84.25cr so far.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Originally slated for release in 2022 and then rescheduled for July and December 2023, Yodha arrived much later than planned.
Interestingly, amid these delays, Malhotra became synonymous with patriotic roles.
He recently starred in the 2024 OTT action-thriller series Indian Police Force for Amazon Prime Video, created by Rohit Shetty.
This role follows his standout performance in Shershaah back in 2021.
Yodha, thus, is another project that stars him in uniform.
Collections
In detail: 'Yodha's opening day collection breakdown
On Friday, Yodha reportedly experienced an overall Hindi occupancy rate of 13.86%, with the highest turnout recorded during night shows at 20.28%.
Notably, regions such as Chennai saw a significant turnout of 43.50%.
Produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, Yodha has garnered positive early reviews from the audience, fueling anticipation for a potential surge in box office numbers over the weekend, largely driven by positive word-of-mouth.
The critical reception, meanwhile, has been lukewarm.
About the film
'Yodha's plot and production details
Helmed by newcomers Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha, this aerial actioner depicts Malhotra as commando Arun Katyal, the leader of an elite squad called the Yodha Task Force.
The movie centers on Arun's thrilling journey as he leads a daring rescue mission on a hijacked airplane.
Malhotra aside, Yodha also features Disha Patani and Raashii Khanna taking on lead roles, with Ronit Roy in a guest appearance.
Tanuj Virwani and Sunny Hinduja also star.
Malhotra on 'Yodha'
Malhotra on 'Yodha's 'fictitious story' and action sequences
At a promotional event in Delhi, Malhotra reportedly shared that Yodha is a completely fictional tale with a brand-new task force.
He explained, "So when you create something from zero, then you can take a lot of liberties."
"We've done many variations in the film and the action I've got to perform is very different from Shershaah. Here I am more energetic, and lean, and use different sorts of weapons. It is a far more commercial and entertaining film."