Film: YODHA
Rating: 3/5
Banner: Rockline Productions
Cast: Darshan, Nikitha, Ashish Vidyarthi, Avinash, Srinivasa Murthy, Rahul Dev
Music: Hamsalekha
Cinematography: K M Vishnuvardhana
Director: N Omprakash Rao
Producer: Rockline Venkatesh
Release Date: June 20, 2009

Story:
A charging tale, the story begins with captain Ram ( Darshan) who is an army man and he faces the wrath of his superiors as he does not explain the reason for shooting Patil (Ashish) who is the prospective minister to be. Apparently, Patil tries to molest Asha (nikitha) and Ram saves her from him. However, court martial orders are issued and Ram gets back to his town. Incidentally, Asha also happens to be from the same town and in no time, both of them fall in love. However, the challenge for Ram starts when two gangs in the town are out seeking the blood of Ram. They do it on the orders of Patil who is based in Delhi now. However, Ram is prepared for any challenges and there is also one good reason why he comes back to his town. What is all that forms the rest of the story.

Presentation:
The director has come up with a known storyline but then it was his presentation and narrative that scored. While the script was written without many loose ends, the dialogues were filled with punch and the screenplay was adept. Music was okay but cinematography made up for the moments and glamour angles. Editing could have been better but costumes and locations were perfect for the story. Darshan was the best choice for this role since his height and physique suited very well, Nikitha was like a sex goddess and she has not hesitated to show her material generously. Ashish Vidyarthi was jarring, Rahul Dev was underutilized, Srinivasamurthy was standard, Avinash was alright. The others did their bit to make their presence felt.

Conclusion:
More than the story, it is the message the film was trying to convey that had an impact. With the hero lashing out at the corruption and the lack of unity among the people these days, there was a sense of awakening happening in the theatre. The first half of the film takes off on a moderate pace and picks up the momentum just before the interval. The second half was filled with action and the songs gave enough visual feast to the front benchers. This is a formula film suited to all categories of audience but since most of it is predictable, it will pass with above average marks.

Bharatstudent Verdict: Patriotic and energetic, recommended