Siddhant Chaturvedi sees "Yudhra" as a major achievement as it marks his debut as a solo lead. Although he is thrilled, the actor acknowledges the inherent pressure and fear that comes with shouldering a movie for the first time.
Ravi Udyawar, renowned for directing Sridevi's comeback film "Mom", helms this action-packed thriller.
"I've always wanted to come into the cinemas because everybody has some kind of aspiration, and this is that kind of film. I want people to shower love, be excited and be on the edge of their seats.
"Some things are not in your control, but hopefully, things will turn out well. But there's a bit of pressure and fear, which is part of the job. I’m sure this film will surprise people,” the 31-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.
Chaturvedi, who made an impressive debut in 2019 as seasoned rapper MC Sher in Zoya Akhtar's "Gully Boy," said “Yudhra” was going to be his next “big ticket solo hero” action film after his first film, but the pandemic delayed the project.
Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, the film was officially announced in 2021.
Chaturvedi utilised that period to learn Jiu-Jitsu, Japanese martial arts, kickboxing, taekwondo, and gymnastics.
“We wanted the international crew, and the action directors who trained Tom Cruise for ‘The Last Samurai’, ‘Die Hard’, and the biggest films out there.
"But because of the pandemic for those two years, there were restrictions so everything was on halt. Then I did 'Gehraiyaan', 'Phone Bhoot', and 'Bunty Aur Babli 2',” he said.
Chaturvedi, however, stayed focused on his fitness regimen during the pandemic as he wanted to give his best shot to the action film.
"I was working out for three to four hours every day. I self-trained myself, watched a lot of videos, and listened to motivational music, and that helped me get into the physique. When we shot, it was so easy because I had been doing that for two years in my head, like fighting with people, doing shadow boxing, I was in the 'Karate Kid' zone. I love action and I wanted to give it all,” he added.
Even though “Yudhra” took over four years to make, the actor's faith in the script and the support of the producers enabled him to stay focused on his training and preparation for the role.
He was confident that “nothing could go wrong” as he had the makers of “Don” backing him.
"At that time, action had not peaked, so we were ahead of the curve. My conviction was so strong with the script, as was Farhan and Ritesh sir’s. Any other producer would’ve backed out thinking, ‘It’s a newcomer, new boy, big scale film, not feasible’ but we all had a conviction in the script.” he said.
Chaturvedi is happy that he came to the film after showcasing his versatility in other projects, such as Gehraiyaan and the coming-of-age drama Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.
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