Jigra

What could have been one of the year's most heartfelt films unfortunately settles as a popcorn entertainer with technical brilliance, but ultimately offering little to no food for thought.

That said, it still justifies its ticket price with numerous strengths-well-fleshed-out characters brought to life by applause-worthy performances, a riveting score that elevates the film, and Hollywood-level art direction making full use of the Dharma budget. The brilliant use of colors adds a nostalgic - campy vibe. Flawless editing lets the scenes breathe, but also tightens the story's grip when the script demands. The fast pacing leaves no room for dullness throughout.

However, all these strengths are thrown out the window in the final act. While the film's technical brilliance kept me engaged in the theater, in retrospect I realised that it merely acted as a bandaid on a lackluster script.

The film suffers from repeated exposition, convenient plot devices, and a tonal conflict where forced comedic moments undermine the story's serious elements.

At one point in the third act, a character essentially declares, "I'm going to commit war crimes and look cool while doing so, and you won't question it." This sudden shift fails miserably. Characters break out of their established personalities, and the film loses all moral grounding, embracing and glorifying war and terrorism. The once-grounded brother-sister story becomes over-the-top and comical, with characters inexplicably mastering military weapons and vehicles with no prior experience. It really feels like it went big, for the sake of going big. You can count plot holes on both hands and still run out of fingers.

The first half is exceptional, with few sequences that rank among the best this year. But the jarring finale completely undermines the journey that led upto it.

Vasan Bala is huge fan of Bachchan & there are Bachchan ester eggs throughout the movie!!

Alia's character is vaguely based on iconic Bachchan angry young man characters. The movie is strongly uplifted by BGM.(Always a forte for Vasan Bala films). Cinematography is good. The colour frames lit up big screen. First half is good. Builds up Alia's character.2nd half is bit streched but climax lives up to expectations. (Even climax could have been 5-7 minutes shorter.)

Somehow it's missing the thrill of Monica oh my Darling benchmark. It's Prison break+ emotions+ Bachchan movie without Bachchan himself!!

Overall a good movie!

#Jigra is a term for courage or mettle. The heroine, a young woman named Satya, does possess plenty of it. From an early age, following the death of their parents, she takes complete control of her kid brother. She fulfils all his needs and is almost a mother to him. When he travels to a foreign country and gets wrongly implicated in a narcotics case, she goes all out and rescues him. The story did have potential, but the convenient script and some illogical sequences have ruined the film. In addition to Alia Bhatt, Vivek Gomber, Rahul Ravindran and Manoj Pahwa deliver good performances. Running time needs to be reduced by 20 minutes. Rating 2/5.

Directed by Vasan Bala, Jigra centers around the powerful bond between a sister and her brother, with the sister, played by Alia Bhatt, willing to go to any lengths to protect him. While this emotional core keeps the film anchored, it struggles with ambiguity in the storyline and an unsatisfactory stretched climax. The mismatch between content and execution in the second half weakens the overall impact of the film.

One of the film's strongest aspects is its cinematography. The screenplay is engaging for the most part, especially in the first half. Vasan Bala's direction keeps you invested as the film consistently maintains its tone. However, there are several loose ends and narrative gaps that undermine the storytelling. The linear nature of the plot also restricts the film from exploring its full potential, making it feel one-dimensional despite its emotional depth.

Alia Bhatt once again delivers a standout performance, fully embodying the role of a protective sister. Her portrayal is intense, emotional, and nuanced, making it easy for the audience to connect with her character's struggles. She particularly shines in the emotional scenes, demonstrating once again why she is considered one of the best actresses of her generation. Vedang Raina is standing out with a performance that complements Alia's. He shines throughout the film, proving himself to be a talent to watch in the future. Manoj Pahwa, as expected, is dependable and adds gravitas to his supporting role. Vivek Gomber is terrific as villain. Others are fine in their respective roles.

Direction 3/5 Acting 3/5 Dialogues 2.5/5 Story 2.5/5 Screenplay 2.5/5.

The movie started off strong with an exciting and fast-paced first half that kept me thoroughly engaged. The action sequences and plot development were well-executed, setting high expectations for the rest of the film. However, the second half felt unnecessarily stretched, introducing random subplots that didn't add much value to the overall story. Some of the scenes and character actions lacked coherence, making it hard to stay invested. Overall, while the movie had a promising start, it struggled to maintain its momentum and fell short in delivering a satisfying conclusion. That said, the acting was solid throughout, and the cast did a commendable job with the material they were given.