Alpha Movie Review: In 2012, Katrina Kaif broke new ground for women in the Yash Raj Films Spy Universe, marking a definitive shift in how female characters are usually positioned within the genre. Fourteen
years later, Alia Bhatt takes that legacy forward with a spy actioner led entirely by a woman. Alpha truly marks a paradigm shift. The glass ceiling has been shattered. We’ve come a long way.
In this Shiv Rawail directorial, Alia’s Sita goes against the grain of the cinematic archetype of overtly sexualised, latex bodysuit-clad female spies. Sure, she’s invincible, seemingly infallible, defies death and gravity and leaps mid-air to take down the bad guys. But she is human too. She’s a product of being brought up as a test subject, of being snatched away from the comfort and warmth of a loving home.
She doesn’t know love. She doesn’t know empathy. And she struggles to express herself. Which is why, in the few tender moments she shares with her estranged twin Durga, your heart softens. When she places a flower in her hair and looks at herself in the crystal-clear waters of Kashmir, you witness her perhaps discovering femininity, gentleness and softness for the very first time.
But despite being hardened and iron-willed, Sita is not defined by the traditionally masculine traits that often shape female protagonists in action-heavy cinema like Rani Mukerji’s Shivani Shivaji Roy in Mardaani. While Sita stands firmly at the centre of the action, she remains vulnerable, intuitive and deeply complex, proving that aggression isn’t the only markers of strength or seriousness.
Alpha opens against the backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War that left casualties on both sides. Determined to make India invincible in the face of mounting threats, Col Fateh Singh Lakhawat devises an ‘elite and advanced program’ to create a special task force, aided by scientist Dr Verghese. Soon, a group of young men are injected with a serum called Alpha, engineered to create superhumans.
The serum enhances vision, reflexes, lung capacity and sensory abilities, granting heightened hearing and the ability to hold one’s breath underwater for up to eight minutes. But before long, the serum begins to show dangerous side effects. Unaware of this, Lt Col Vikrant Kaul injects the serum into his wife Janaki’s bloodstream when she runs the risk of cardiac collapse during pregnancy.
The result? Janaki dies on the operating table after giving birth to a baby girl, who is secretly swapped by Fateh Singh and raised as an Alpha soldier. Shielded from the world, trapped inside a facility in Rajasthan and monitored constantly like an experiment, Sita grows up as a weapon. But Fateh Singh isn’t who he claims to be. And into this volatile mix enters her estranged twin, Durga.
At 2 hours and 20 minutes, Alpha may not offer something entirely unfamiliar to viewers of the YRF Spy Universe. In Pathaan too, the antagonist Jim unleashed a deadly bioweapon called Raktabeej to orchestrate India’s downfall, a name lifted directly from Hindu mythology. Mythological references remain deeply embedded in Alpha as well.
Here, Sita and Durga join forces to confront and defeat Asura, highlghting the interplay between espionage and mythic symbolism. But beneath all the patriotism and warfare lies the story of a father and daughter seeking reconciliation. And that forms the beating heart of Alpha. As for the action set-pieces, there’s little here that feels entirely new.
There are high-budget combat sequences, elaborate choreography and gravity-defying stunts heavily laced with CGI. And yet, Alpha wins because it’s still rare to see women command action on this scale on the big screen. In a sequence, Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir (in a cameo), alongside Sita and Durga, takes down the bad guys.
What stands out is that the women are doing the equal heavy lifting, not waiting for the men to rescue and protect them. Cinematographer Rubais and background score composers Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara deserve special mention too. As for the performances, Alia holds fort as Sita.
She brings an impressive restraint to the role, at times reminding you of Satya from her last outing, Jigra. As she fights to protect herself, her newfound family and her motherland from the villain’s grasp, she almost makes you believe she’s immortal. One cannot ignore her smouldering eyes, which carry a thousand emotions and a lingering heartbreak even in moments of heroism.
This may not be her career-best performance but it will surely remain one of her most memorable. Sharvari, as Durga, beautifully complements Sita. She lights up the screen with her presence and more than holds her own opposite the formidable performer that Alia is. Their gentler moments are endearing.
Bobby Deol as Fateh Singh once again slips effortlessly under the skin of an antagonist and delivers. The only drawback is that his Haryanvi accent lacks consistency. Anil Kapoor as Vikrant Kaul carves his own space within the ensemble and leaves a lasting impression. At times he is the resolute RAW chief and at others a helpless father, and he balances both dimensions with ease.
Alpha may not be the YRF Spy Universe’s strongest or most flawless outing. There are loopholes and the story remains largely predictable. But even with its imperfections, this one is a trailblazer. It sets a powerful precedent for women-led action films in mainstream Hindi cinema, proving that female protagonists can command scale, spectacle and star power just as convincingly as men.
And sometimes, that shift in itself is bigger than narrative perfection. Alpha may stumble but it pushes the genre forward.
