Robin Bhuyan
Released on 11th October, Jigra, directed by Vasan Bala, is a captivating Hindi language thriller that seeks to redefine the action genre by centering on a female protagonist. With Alia Bhatt in the lead role as Satya, the film shows the lengths one might be willing to go to, for loved ones. In a genre often dominated by male-centric narratives, Jigra attempts to carve its space with a female protagonist, and the film does a good job at this, because unlike most female-centric action movies, it does not try to shove any feminist or hateful propaganda in your face.
The film starts strong, building an emotional connection between Satya and her younger brother Ankur, played by Vedang Raina. As we learn about their tough upbringing as orphans, it makes us us feel for them genuinely. Eventually Satya’s determination to save Ankur, who has been wrongly sentenced to execution in a foreign country due to false drug charges, drives the story forward.
Alia Bhatt shines in her role, delivering a performance that captures her character’s fierce protectiveness and unwavering resolve. The film establishes her character as someone who embodies strength, both physically and emotionally. She is also not the typical hero who will do no wrong. You might even find Alia’s character similar to her husband’s character Ranvijay Singh from the movie Animal, as both show anti-heroic traits, and both are willing to go to any lengths for family.
The film’s first half is packed with tension and suspense, as Satya finds herself in a dangerous landscape of an autocratic foreign country and ends up in a desperate attempt to save her brother from death row. However, as the story unfolds, the pacing begins to weaken. Despite a gripping setup, the screenplay unfortunately slows down, particularly in the second half, where the energy and tension that you see in the first half the beginning seem to fade away. The film stretches its runtime, making certain scenes feel unnecessarily drawn out, which might lead you to a sense of boredom that might even make you wonder – Am I watching a film or a web series? You may find yourself losing interest as the screenplay struggles to maintain its momentum after the intermission.
One of the film’s notable sequences is the jailbreak scene, which comes across as somewhat loud and unrealistic. Yes, thrilling moments are definitely essential in a jailbreak thriller, but to be frank, the execution here lacks the necessary grounding in reality that would make the scene believable. Moreover, as the film draws itself to a conclusion, you might feel that you no longer care for the characters as much you did in the beginning. This change happens mainly because the stretched-out screenplay loses the pacing and emotional weight that we felt earlier.
However, despite this shortcoming, Jigra does succeed in certain aspects, particularly in its cinematography and production quality. The visuals, captured by Swapnil S. Sonawane, manages to add a layer of dynamism to the film, immersing you in a fictional autocratic nation where the story unfolds.
In conclusion, Alia Bhatt’s performance is impressive, and so are all the actors, and the film has moments of real emotion, but it ultimately suffers from a slow-paced screenplay, which can make you lose interest by the time it reaches the conclusion. Regardless, the movie is an excellent effort, but it seems to miss its full potential.
Rating – 6 out of 10 stars
