Alia Bhatt to star in Vasan Bala’s Indian action thriller

Jigra (meaning “heart” and “courage”) is heartbreaking and emotional, but also far-fetched and illogical. Director and co-writer Vasan Bhalla has created a prison break movie that tries to find the sweet spot between heartwarming bromance, thrilling action and breathless suspense, and while he doesn’t hit all the marks, star and co-star Producer Alia Bhatt has confirmed once again: she is a formidable talent.

Even when the plot gets loose and the twists are too convenient, Bart never misses a beat. She plays the lead role of Satya, with an incredibly fierce look in her eyes that always shows an unwavering expression. She may be small in stature, but when she takes down grown men, we don’t question it because her conviction is so absolute. In one scene, another character admiringly calls her a “gundi” (gangster). In this environment, that’s a compliment.

Satya is indestructible because she grows so fast. As orphans, she and her younger brother Ankur (Vedang Raina) were raised by an extended family who basically treated them as workers. When Ankur is imprisoned in the fictional country of Hanshi Island (which we learn is located near Malaysia), Satya is determined to save him at all costs. She’s the superhero among sisters: tough, resourceful, and ultimately a full-on action star.

The beginning of Bala is beautiful. He, along with co-writer Debashish Irengbam and editor Prerna Saigal, packaged the message to establish characters and relationships before the title even ends. Notably, this includes the opulence and casual cruelty of Satya and Ankur’s relatives. These are people who own private jets, but they don’t get there by being nice.

Excellent cinematography by Swapnil Suhas Sonawane, who also shot Bala’s last film Monica, dear. There are moments where the DP and director pull unnecessary gimmicks, such as a scene appearing in black and white for no reason. But Swapnil and colorist Sidharth Meir largely succeed in making Hanshi Island and the correctional facility look both strange and familiar, beautiful and menacing. Some scenes are bathed in red tones, and the climax makes interesting use of smoke.

One of the best moments in the film is the first meeting between Satya and Ankur in jail. Raina’s blend of acting and charisma is outstanding. The same goes for Achint Thakkar’s music. His plaintive, anguished notes add to the drama and desperation of the moment.

However, once the narrative enters jailbreak mode, the movie begins to wobble from a place of recovery. One of the fault lines is Hansraj Landa, the sadistic jailer played by Vivek Gomber. It’s a cinematic cliché that an authority figure takes pleasure in torturing his guardians. You may remember Bob Christo playing the same character in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1993 film grumpystarring Butt’s mother Soni Razdan, which internet sleuths deduced was inspired by Jigra. But Crystal’s character wasn’t quite effective, and 31 years later, neither was Landa. Landa’s family has lived on Hanshi Island for generations. He is more of a local than an Indian and speaks English with a special accent. Gomber tries his best, but it’s impossible to take the role seriously.

The connection between Satya and her allies is equally guaranteed. Manoj Pahwa plays Bhatia, who describes himself as a retired gangster, and while the actor can make even the most vulnerable scenes convincing, the character seems purpose-built for Designed to increase mass appeal. Bhatia is a fan of Amitabh Bachchan and listens to ShangilPrakash Mehra’s classic work, created the image of the “angry young man”. Likewise, Satya is an “angry young woman.”

Essentially, Bhatia allowed Bala to dabble in nostalgia and his love of inserting Easter eggs into narratives. Extensive use of old Hindi film songs, including Kaifi Azmi’s “Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar” and “Yari Hai Imaan Mera” Shangil. In one scene, we hear Bachchan’s classic line Anipas. There’s even a moment when a guard reads out the names of inmates such as John Woo, Wong Kar-Wai, and Kim Ki-duk—I’m guessing these are all filmmakers that Bala admires.

In Hanshido, where personal freedoms are restricted, attempts to intervene in politics through some kind of resistance movement are minimal. In one shot, we see a statue of a leader being toppled, similar to the iconic visual of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein statue. But all of this is so vague that it adds little to the plot.

by the time Jigra It ends in a hail of bullets where anything seems possible – which greatly diminishes the impact of the narrative. Still, it’s beautiful to see Bart running down a rooftop in slow motion, armed to the teeth and full of danger.