The YRF Spy Universe expands further with its latest offering, Alpha. It is a high-octane action thriller that delivers on visual gloss but completely misses the mark on emotional gravity.
While the film attempts to inject fresh energy with a female-led narrative, it just ends up as a glossy but emotionally hollow addition to the spy genre. The film is rooted heavily in the typical studio template of glamour, exotic locations, and physics-defying stunts. This spy, action, thriller having a runtime of 140 minutes ultimate feels outdated.
Firstly, when compared to contemporary benchmarks, particularly to Dhurandhar 1 and 2, that seamlessly blend espionage with deep-rooted patriotism, Alpha stands no match, trading genuine national fervor for forced, over-the-top melodrama.
A Fractured Foundation – that’s Alpha
The narrative follows a highly trained assassin raised in total isolation as a super-soldier by a rogue commander. Sita (Alia Bhatt) is raised by an adoptive father Col Fateh Singh Lakhawat (Bobby Deol) and has been molded into a cold, lethal weapon. Consequently, she unearths the dark truth about her family and a stolen childhood. Hence, she teams up with her long-lost sister to dismantle her creator’s illicit military program. Despite her intense training, the mission forces her to confront her own past and emotional detachment.
However, the screenplay asks for too much suspension of disbelief. The core logic of an enemy soldier successfully infiltrating the Indian Army—and rapidly climbing the ranks completely unnoticed — is highly impractical and nonsensical. Forced Melodrama amidst high-stakes espionage sequences are frequently interrupted by lengthy, sentimental dialogues about family bonding.
Superstar’s guest appearance in vain in Alpha
At the center of the film is Alia Bhatt playing a wooden, un-emotional girl raised by an adopted father. Her performance feels remarkably stiff and unnatural. Conversely, Sharvari Wagh emerges as a bright spot, looking highly promising and agile in her action sequences. Even a surprise guest appearance by a massive superstar fails to rescue this sinking, overly melodramatic action thriller.
Veterans Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol do their parts remarkably well, anchoring the chaotic plot. However, even a surprise guest appearance by a massive superstar fails to rescue the film from its own scripting flaws.
The film’s biggest undoing is its pacing and tone. Subsequently, the real momentum of the spy thriller is constantly dragged down by heavy-handed family bonding dialogues and forced heroism.
Nonetheless, the high-stakes narrative is frequently disrupted by glamorous song sequences. In one of the film’s most amusingly distracting creative choices, the audience is forced to watch Alia and Sharvari dancing in skimpy clothing amidst the freezing, chilly valleys of Kashmir.
Ultimately, Alpha proves that no amount of visual polish can substitute for a cohesive script and genuine emotional stakes.
Cast of Alpha:
Alia Bhatt as Sita
Sharvari as Durga (Sita’s estranged twin sister)
Anil Kapoor as Col Vikrant Kaul, (R&AW Chief)
Bobby Deol as Col Fateh Singh Lakhawat (Sita’s adoptive father)
Dia Mirza as Janaki (Colonel Vikrant’s wife)
Hrithik Roshan as Major Kabir Dhaliwal (Cameo appearance)
Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Dr John Varghese
Khushi Hajare as teenage Sita
Kiara Khanna as child Sita
Vishal Katpal as Madhur Kulkarni
Shubhi Mehta as Susan Cherian
Shivam Pal as Wazir
The Diplomat – movie review
Credits of Alpha:
Production company – Yash Raj Films
Produced by Aditya Chopra
Directed by Shiv Rawail
Screenplay by Soumil Shukla and Shridhar Raghavan
Dialogues by Ishita Moitra
Story by Uday Chopra
Cinematography – Rubais
Edited by Aarif Sheikh
Songs: Rohansh and Abeer Pandit
BGM Score: Sanchit and Ankit Balhara
