Jigra

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.

Satyabhama Anand (Alia Bhatt) and Ankur Anand (Vedant Raina) are siblings who got orphaned as kids. Satya had always been her brother's protector and circumstances only make her firm on playing his life long savior. They are raised by their uncle but are not truly considered as family. Satya knows they are on their own and when Ankur is sentenced to death in an unknown country for a crime he did not commit, Satya makes it her mission to save him at any cost. She finds support from ex gangster Shekhar Bhatia and ex cop Muthu, both wanting to save someone from the dreaded prison. What happens when their plan goes awry and with time running, what havoc Satya brings in to save her brother, forms rest of the story.

Vasan Bala's films are guilty pleasures with enough old film references he puts in as an ode to those films he loves, has been highly relatable for me. With Jigra, Vasan Bala pens down an adaptation of Gumrah with gender reversal. The characterization of Alia Bhatt's Satya to be a badass is established at her introduction scene itself. The making is top notch and it's a story which has the appeal even now. The problem is in the way Vasan Bala tries to juggle the narrative which is realistic and also filled with light-hearted humor, which he couldn't find the perfect balance. The serious tone of the film fails to gel with the humor during / before jailbreak scenes. For a film that jokes about masala films, the final act is extremely masalafied. Also, it is not regular to show the protagonist to harm an honest character and it stood out as a sore point. It could be argued that she can go to any extent, justifying the actions in the final act but nevertheless it was hard to digest. Alia Bhatt shines in her role, bringing in the balance between enacting her emotions subtly to her outbursts. The film gets too over the top in the second half, while the cinematography aids a lot in selling those shots, the writing doesn't. Manoj Pahwa and Rahul Ravindran's Shekhar Bhatia and Muthu are another reasons for giving this film a shot. There is a reference to Zanjeer's hit song in the end and it proves how predictable the writing got at the very conceptual level.

I got hooked with the trailer. Mindblowing.

Then I felt bombed by the film. Underperforming to put it in one word.

Alia delivers, all other actors seem to have skipped acting school. Maybe it's also the dialogues which are just week.

The main problem is that the entire story is event driven. One event and song chases the next one.

What about a character driven story once in a while? Character development not stupid stereotypes with punchy lines just to get to the next scene.

Who is writing those dialogues?

I watched 20 minutes and then skipped through the rest.

Sorry, but it did not catch me.

While "Jigra" may not fully align with the usual standards of Vasan Bala that I have come to expect, I must commend his adept portrayal of the brother-sister dynamic, which without a doubt stands as the highlight of the entire presentation.

Had Mr. Bala dedicated a bit more time and resources to deepen the showcase of these siblings' unbreakable bond, the impact would have been something truly remarkable.

Additional scenes illustrating their tumultuous childhood, particularly within the confines of their distant relative's home where they were raised, would have significantly enriched the narrative.

Now I do not wish to imply that the 'Jailbreak' drama lacked excitement; it certainly had its moments. However, the happenings often felt like an elaborate collection of fillers rather than an integral part of the core narrative.

Because ultimately, the essence of the story revolved around the bond between Satya and Ankur and I longed for a greater emphasis on that particular aspect.

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!