Directed by Shiv Rawail and produced by Aditya Chopra, Alpha is the latest entrant in the Yash Raj spy universe. Alia Bhatt takes the lead as Sita and is joined by Bobby Deol, Sharvari, Anil Kapoor, and Hrithik Roshan in a majestic cameo. After much anticipation and a trailer that looked oddly dull, Alpha is now running in theatres. YRF obviously wanted to step away from the Tigers and Pathaans and lean into feminine energy for this film. Does it really land on screen, or will Alpha fail in its mission? Read this spoiler-free review to know more.

Alpha opens to pure anarchy. We are greeted by an angry Sita on a killing spree,  and hellbent on destroying everything she has ever known. And this is when we hear the first Ramayan reference. This layer could have given Alpha a unique strength among the other spy films. If only the story had more purpose than just introducing a new spy in the mix.

Sita is a lab rat gone rogue. Groomed and trained by Lt Col Fateh Singh (Bobby Deol), she grows up away from the rest of the world, with a scientist uncle who educates her and a father figure who only teaches her how to kill. Sita is born with superhero blood, engineered purely by human intervention. She is unstoppable, a true machine. After learning a few damaging secrets about her past and how she came to be Alpha, Sita decides to destroy the programme altogether. What she doesn’t account for is her father figure, her Baba, turning against her.

Soon enough, another spy is introduced, Durga (Sharvari). We can’t tell you much about her character without giving spoilers, but we can tell you that this is when Alpha stops being an Alia Bhatt film.

Alpha review: A weak screenplay pulls the film down

The story flows in a non-linear format, which is fine. It’s supposed to keep the viewer hooked to the screen. But the non-linear flow builds an expectation that the film ultimately fails to uphold. Alpha is heavy on great visuals and weak dialogue. The few attempts at humour don’t really evoke a reaction. The patriotism is heavy-handed and doesn’t sound genuine from any character in the film. It just shows up as if to tick off an item on a writer’s checklist.

The first half of Alpha is repetitive and a bit boring after the lead character’s past and present are established. The viewer’s interest in the film is saved solely by Hrithik Roshan’s cameo as Kabir in what looks like a Dr Strange-comes-to-Bollywood sequence. Despite the ‘strange’ inspiration, this tidbit of Hrithik Roshan saves the day.

Bobby Deol, as Lt Col Fateh Singh, is menacing throughout. And that adds to the repetitiveness because his character has only a single layer. He looks and sounds scary, and that’s about it. You’ll enjoy watching him on screen, and the twist in his story towards the end is fun. But his performance is not cinematic gold.

The same can be said for Anil Kapoor’s Vikrant Kaul. He’s serious, deep-voiced, loyal to his country, and has a backstory of extreme personal pain. However, Anil Kapoor deserved more than a few dramatic entries and stunts. His character feels under-explored, especially his journey from fauji to R&AW chief.

After Main Vaapas Aaunga and now Alpha, Sharvari has proven that she is here to stay. Her character has more depth than any other, and she is given room to show her acting skills. Durga’s attempts to bring cheer to a dark world are the only respite you get from the greyness of the rest of the film.

And now we come to the lead. Alia Bhatt tries really hard to claim her space in the action genre. It doesn’t work in the first half. Her Sita doesn’t look psychotic enough to scare the viewer or make us doubt her intentions. However, in the second half, the action sequences are much better, and Alia finally convinces the audience of her character’s physical capabilities. One could argue that Alia was miscast in this role. Sita had to be a stone-faced, cold-blooded killer, nearly impossible to break. And Alia just doesn’t fit that image.

Is Alpha worth watching?

Visually, Alpha is stunning. The fights, especially the climax, flow effortlessly and are gripping. They could even give you goosebumps. The dramatic setting of a rainy night in Cherrapunji only adds to the thrill. But this is where the film disappoints yet again. Alpha could have ended in the most unpredictable, jaw-dropping manner. Instead, it fizzles out with a whimper. Typical of YRF’s spyverse, which always builds up to an epic climax and then can’t wait to get rid of its villains.

Alpha is definitely worth watching over the weekend. Just don’t expect it to blow your mind.

Can you watch Alpha with your family? Yes. The violence is not gory, and there is no abusive language or intimacy.

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