Alpha Review: Sharvari Slays and Hrithik Roshan’s Cameo Steals the Show!

 

Movie Review: Alpha

The YRF Spy Universe Fails to Rise as a True 'Alpha' Despite Alia Bhatt’s Best Efforts

• Director: Shiv Rawail

• Cast: Alia Bhatt, Sharvari Wagh, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor

• Special Cameo: Hrithik Roshan

• Genre: Spy / Action / Thriller

• Runtime: 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Aditya Chopra’s YRF Spy Universe has given Indian cinema some of its biggest adrenaline-fueled blockbusters. Naturally, the hype surrounding Alpha—the franchise's very first female-led espio-thriller—was astronomical. With a stellar casting coup featuring the versatile Alia Bhatt alongside breakout action-star Sharvari Wagh, the project was billed as a ground-shaking shift away from male-dominated narratives.

Unfortunately, Alpha fails to earn its ambitious title. Under the direction of Shiv Rawail (The Railway Men), the movie ends up being an inconsistent cocktail of Hollywood action templates, unconvincing CGI, and a script that spends far too much time playing out like a melodramatic family soap opera.

🎬 The Plot: High-Tech Serums and Heavy Melodrama

The film traces the origin story of Sita (Alia Bhatt), a fierce, genetically enhanced super-soldier working for RAW under the watchful eye of the intelligence chief (Anil Kapoor). Sita is part of "Operation Odyssey," an elite, rogue cross-border unit injected with an experimental, strength-boosting serum—a narrative tool clearly "borrowed" from Hollywood's Captain America and Black Widow.

Sita is joined by Durga (Sharvari Wagh), her trusted sidekick, as they track down a lethal threat masterminded by a terrifying, grizzly antagonist played by Bobby Deol.

Instead of remaining laser-focused on the stakes of high-level espionage, the script constantly downshifts into intense family drama. The story drags the audience through an exhausting web of emotional baggage: a dead mother, a stolen childhood, a guilt-ridden father figure, and sisterly conflicts. By trying to prove it has an oversized emotional heart, Alpha frequently forgets to maintain a pulse.

⚡ The Hits: What Actually Works

1. The Realist Edge: Naming the Threat

One refreshing element is the film’s willingness to drop the franchise's usual "dushman mulk" (enemy nation) euphemisms. It explicitly names Pakistan, openly addresses cross-border black ops, and pivots away from performative diplomacy.

2. Sharvari's Electric Presence

While the movie is fundamentally an Alia Bhatt vehicle, Sharvari completely steals the spotlight whenever she is on screen. Following her breakout streak, she displays natural athleticism, seamless rhythm in hand-to-hand combat choreography, and an infectious, high-energy charm that briefly brings the dreary narrative to life.

3. Kabir’s Cameo

Hrithik Roshan makes an explosive, 8-minute special appearance reprising his beloved role as Kabir from War. Strikingly reminiscent of John Wick, his action piece is stylized, high-octane, and serves as a stellar reminder of what the Spy Universe looks like at its absolute peak. Gratifyingly, he steps out without over-shadowing the primary heroines.

💥 The Misses: Where the Film Bleeds Out

1. The Miscasting of Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt is undeniably one of the finest dramatic actors of her generation, but the "larger-than-life action heroine" mold fits her awkwardly here. Instead of projecting a natural, battle-hardened gravitas, her portrayal relies heavily on empty scowls and rigid, try-hard "mumbai-ka-bidu" style dialogue delivery. Watching her tiny frame single-handedly pummel fleets of 6-foot-tall elite commandos requires an immense suspension of disbelief that the film fails to ground.

2. A Villain Without Meat

After his menacing streak in Animal, Bobby Deol is severely under-utilized here. Armed with a bizarre, inconsistent accent that his performance continuously drops, his character feels entirely formulaic. The script forces him to endlessly shout slogans of his own twisted desh bhakti (patriotism), turning what could have been a brilliant villain into a flat, one-note roadblock.

3. Tonal Whiplash & Hollywood Tropes

The screenplay borrows liberally from Western hits like La Femme Nikita, Hanna, and Marvel's Black Widow, but packages it with clunky Indian commercial tropes. The editing shifts erratically from hyper-serious torture cells to random, glossy, Liril-ad-style swimming montages in the freezing climates of Kashmir. This constant over-sexualization of Sharvari and Alia in combat gear conflicts heavily with the film's supposed "female empowerment" ethos.

📊 The Bottom Line: How It Holds Up

Universe Ranking	Film	Key Strength	The Verdict
The Peak	War (2019)	Slick style, Hrithik-Tiger chemistry, high stakes.	Masterclass in Indian action.
The Middle	Pathaan / Tiger Series	Star power, massive theatrical scale.	Great guilty pleasures.
The Weakest	Alpha (2026)	Strong performances, direct political plot.	Botched opportunity. Lacks thrill & logic.

Final Verdict

Following the lukewarm reception of War 2, Alpha was expected to breathe fresh life into the YRF Spy Universe. Instead, it cements a downward trend. The hand-to-hand combat choreography is sharp, but it is repeatedly dragged down by sloppy CGI explosions, a generic background score, and writing that fails to connect emotionally or logically.

If you are a die-hard fan of Alia Bhatt or want to catch Hrithik Roshan’s spectacular 8-minute cameo, Alpha is a passable, one-time weekend watch. Otherwise, this spy thriller is safely skippable.