Alpha Review: Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Lead a Bold Spy Universe Reinvention That Doesn't Always Land

The Plot

We meet Colonel Fateh Singh Lakhawat (Bobby Deol) and Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor), who work on creating an Alpha serum that makes soldiers formidable with skills like no other. Not superhuman, but almost like them. However, it comes at a price that isn't known until much later. An unanticipated decision from Kaul leads to the birth of two daughters, Sita (Alia Bhatt) and Durga (Sharvari), though they only realise the truth years later. There are hidden missions, hidden identities and several revelations in store that lead to many developments later.

A Welcome Shift In The Spy Universe Formula

The biggest positive here is that the makers have understood the expectations from audiences with this world, and they have indeed gone rooted, raw, real and bonkers all at once. We aren't seeing those flashy, glamour filled spies living life as if they are constantly on a vacation. They are instead doing combat and action in its raw yet stylish form, and that's impressive if nothing else. The screenplay manoeuvres to do crazy things while staying grounded, and has the ladies do the hard work while making it believable too.

This is a huge ask because you don't have your Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan going all out in their own way. Instead, you have the first ever female led spy film where they fight the living daylights out of hundreds of men and several bad guys as well. It is banana town, and to make sure you believe that a petite girl can fight buffed up, strong men, the film uses the Alpha serum angle, and that works.

Alia Bhatt And Sharvari Shoulder The Mission Beautifully

Alpha is impressive in its ambition and does spectacularly well in presenting its women in the best light possible. What's especially impressive about the film is that director Shiv Rawail doesn't resort to the usual tropes with Bhatt and Sharvari as female action leads. Instead, he presents them simply as formidable and highly skilled people, which elevates the impact even more.

Special kudos and extra brownie points to Alia Bhatt and Sharvari for putting in all the effort possible to be sleek, impressive, impactful and absolutely amazing. Bhatt and Sharvari are fantastic, and even though Bhatt misses a few beats on a few occasions, she anchors the film while playing the tougher one.

Sharvari, however, impresses even more. Playing second fiddle at times, she has this amazing talent to stand out in whatever she gets. It isn't second fiddle to Alia Bhatt's Sita in any demeaning way because her character demands exactly that at certain points.

The Story Stumbles But Keeps Finding Its Feet

Bhatt and Sharvari are phenomenal and make the experience, and the film, work way more than it should have. The screenplay meanders a little too much at times and also turns predictable on a few occasions, but it keeps finding its way back. It also helps that Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor aren't merely supporting acts but the primary drivers of everything happening in the story.

It isn't a secret anymore, but yes, the Hrithik Roshan cameo impresses too because, once again, it is done differently. They remain the primary cast, giving the girls the towering support they deserve while also having fun with the absolute madness that unfolds.