Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina’s prison-break drama thriller has hit the theaters. Vasan Bala’s film has emotions, depth, story, and good music but lacks in performance. Scroll down to read the full review.
- Movie Name: Jigra
- IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
- Release Date: October 10, 2024
- Director: Vasan Bala
- Genre: Drama-Thriller
Alia Bhatt returns to the big screens after a gap of 14 months with Vasan Bala’s Jigra. The movie set in Mumbai and Singapore marks the theatrical debut of actor Vedang Raina from The Archies. Jigra features the lead player Alia Bhatt playing the role of Satya Anand, a young lady who has faced one troubled upbringing. But the serious story takes an even more pressing turn when her brother Ankur Anand (Vedang Raina), the only member of her remaining family, is arrested and beaten to a pulp in a foreign prison. It’s there that the tale takes an even more menacing shape as it follows her journey into a real-life superhero (or, as the movie calls her, Bachchan), where she decides to take matters into her own hands and assist him in making his way out of jail.
Story
Jigra starts off with two young siblings, Satya and Ankur, who have a bond as well as prove it at this moment when they climb up the staircase of their home. However, from the very outset, the movie turns serious as it starts with their father committing suicide. In the blink of an eye, the movie moves on to elder Satya and Ankur, who live in their uncle’s home. Satya is more of a staff than family here. Later, Ankur is seen going to Singapore along with his cousin hoping to set up his career. Eventually, the worst nightmare of Satya comes true when her baby brother gets convicted for a false case in a foreign land, that too to save his selfish cousin brother. This is the time; the character decides it’s her versus the world, but for saving her brother, it’s a cost.
She’s Not Alone In This Fight For Justice
She’s accompanied by Muthu, the loveable man played by Rahul Ravindran, and Mr. Bhatia is played by Manoj Pahwa, in Singapore. Having a cause to save their loved ones, the trio comes together to break into the prison and to free people who deserve not to die for crimes they do not commit. However, they are faced by an equal opponent, the Central Jail commander played by Vivek Gomber. Are Bhatia, Satya, and Muthu successful in implementing their plans, or do they get executed in the meantime? Watch Jigra to know the answers.
Direction And Writing
Writer and director Vasan Bala has done a fab job with the screenplay of Jigra. Bala and Debashish Irengbam present a strong story at the forefront and don’t give a single margin to loose ends.
Besides, each scene in the film is substantial, adds up to the story, and creates an eagerness for the inevitable. But the filmmakers could have been a bit more successful in terms of casting in the movie. Alia Bhatt, who plays the elder sister to Vedang Raina, comes short in a few scenes for placing the same age gap and bond on screen. Only if Bala had cast an older actor than Alia, who probably would have created a much more mature scenic bond on screen, the film would have been more impactful.
Another problem with Jigra is that producers find no justification for Satya’s aggressive and possessive attitude. It is perfectly comprehensible that having lost her father at an early age and staying with a heartless and selfish uncle and aunt could have made her grave and aggressive. However, the character consistently has the same tonality of aggression throughout the movie when her father was alive.
In addition, Jigra is the movie that has its more fantastic and better second half than the first. However, the makers deserve appreciation for a brilliant build-up to a fantastic prison break sequence. Apart from that, Bala and Debashish also have some moments concerning the mental health conversations. The childhood trauma of the lead character is dealt with really well in the film.
Also read: Satyajit Ray’s Movies Continue To Be Essential To India’s Soft Power, Even After 50 Years
Music
The best part of the movie Jigra is its music. Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka and the Sang Rakhna songs are the heartbeats of the movie. While Arijit Singh and Vedang Raina’s voices can make you cry a little for the characters and their story, it is the Masaan writer who should be most lauded for such poignant lyrics. Varun Grover has set the tonality of this movie with his songwriting.
Though, it’s sad that Diljit Dosanjh’s Chal Kudiye didn’t find a place in Jigra, not even in the last credits.
Acting
Alia Bhatt seems the weakest link of the film at times. How much the ‘Ab toh Bachchan banna padega’ dialogue seemed important in the trailer, but it didn’t resonate the same way while watching the film. Alia’s ear tone acting did not go well with the film. Plus, her Gangubai Kathiawadi’s low baritone in Jigra too did not add much. The first meeting of Satya with Ankur in jail could have been an unforgettable and emotionally heart-wrenching scene of the movie, but with Alia’s no expression and no tears falling from her eyes’ acting, it felt short and was unimpactful. She was like a classic piece of glamour at the climax of the movie.
The silent and emotional celebration of victory is the loudest as that’s the only time the character Satya is emoting in the movie. Vedang Raina is fine as Ankur as in Jigra. He gets to offer way more Jigra than The Archies. However, even his no tears crying in the jail meet scene was annoying. The film would have benefited from a stronger Ankur than just being the ‘badi didi ke chote bhai’. The supporting cast, on the other hand is bang on! Manoj Pahwa is phenomenal in Jigra.
No sooner does he come on screen, he becomes the heartbeat of the film. The ‘Yaari Hai Imaan’ song playing in the background in Pahwa’s last scene is a winning shot by the makers. Rahul Ravindran as Muthu is hell-convincing and on-point. But it is a treat to the eyes to see Vivek Gomber as a villain. The Sir actor is powerful as a Singaporean jail commander and brings everything to the table. From accent to hardstones act, the actor gets everything right in Jigra.
Verdict
Vasan’s directorial is a heart-wrenching story of bravery, true love of siblings towards each other, and the sacrifices that love sometimes demands. Alia Bhatt’s sisterly love for Vedang Raina in the film can make you fall for sibling love. The film has so much to offer than just thrilling action and family emotions. It will provoke conversations and thoughts. A screenplay writer of several great films like Raman Raghav, Monica O’ My Darling and 83 is doing the same with Jigra.
He makes you feel for characters so much that you would want to cry when they lose and clap when they win. Jigra, easily deserving of 3 stars in out now in theatres.