Siddhant Chaturvedi is turning action hero with his upcoming release Yudhra. The high-octane thriller is releasing later this week and the two trailers have given the audience a taste of what is to come – violence, gore, and lots of blood. In an exclusive chat with DNA, the film’s star talks about what drew him to the film and how it stands out in this wave of hyperviolent Indian films.
Siddhant says that to him, the action was incidental to Yudhra when he signed it. “It’s a very personal story of revenge. We never had a reference. Obviously, we knew we had to do something path breaking with the action. It has to look raw and real. We would not do it just for the effect of it. No fight or no violence should be just for style or for shock value. Action always has a purpose behind it,” explains the actor.
In the past one year, a number of Indian films have flirted with extreme levels of violence, something Bollywood had stayed away from for years. Animal and Kill are two prominent examples. But Siddhant isn’t too worried about the comparisons. He says, “We were ahead of the curve in 2019 when I signed the film. But the pandemic happened and we couldn’t get the international crew to shoot here. Logistically we couldn’t start. By that time we saw there were a lot of action films coming out. But none of it is similar or in the same zone. A lot of people might compare it but you can’t. When you watch this film, you’ll realise it’s a totally different animal.”
His character in this film battles rage issues and is more grey than white. Siddhant admits that he has been offered villains as well but nothing has stuck. “I have been offered to play villain in a couple of films that turned out to be massive hits. But I feel like I needed to do more,” he explains, adding, “If I get a villain that is human and not just a villain for the effect of it – that when you start feeling for the villain – that kind of a character I would love to do.”
Directed by Ravi Udaywar, Yudhra also stars Malavika Mohanan, Raghav Juyal, Gajraj Rao, Ram Kapoor, Raj Arjun, and Shilpa Shukla. The film will release in theatres on September 20.
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