Jigra

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.

What could have been one of the year's most heartfelt films unfortunately settles as a popcorn entertainer with technical brilliance, but ultimately offering little to no food for thought.

That said, it still justifies its ticket price with numerous strengths-well-fleshed-out characters brought to life by applause-worthy performances, a riveting score that elevates the film, and Hollywood-level art direction making full use of the Dharma budget. The brilliant use of colors adds a nostalgic - campy vibe. Flawless editing lets the scenes breathe, but also tightens the story's grip when the script demands. The fast pacing leaves no room for dullness throughout.

However, all these strengths are thrown out the window in the final act. While the film's technical brilliance kept me engaged in the theater, in retrospect I realised that it merely acted as a bandaid on a lackluster script.

The film suffers from repeated exposition, convenient plot devices, and a tonal conflict where forced comedic moments undermine the story's serious elements.

At one point in the third act, a character essentially declares, "I'm going to commit war crimes and look cool while doing so, and you won't question it." This sudden shift fails miserably. Characters break out of their established personalities, and the film loses all moral grounding, embracing and glorifying war and terrorism. The once-grounded brother-sister story becomes over-the-top and comical, with characters inexplicably mastering military weapons and vehicles with no prior experience. It really feels like it went big, for the sake of going big. You can count plot holes on both hands and still run out of fingers.

The first half is exceptional, with few sequences that rank among the best this year. But the jarring finale completely undermines the journey that led upto it.

Mr Vasan thought of no where that he was playing a video game and realised same kind version he can incorporate into movie.

Story was written like a 12th grade boy who can just imagine how to plot for prison break.

Very very loop holes, dots didn't tried to match at many times.. Half of the way where something thought it can get connected were broken.

USP is Alia and Vedang ( Specially Vedang) who really acted well.. Alia was like her in Raazi action but more of action with pointless scripts, mediacore acting and poor execution.

Just wait to get it realased on Netflix those have subscription else download some free apps to watch it..

Don't spend money to go theatre and waste your time.

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.