Jigra review: Vasan Bala gives this generation its much-awaited ‘Angry Young Woman’ in his own style!

The Alia Bhatt starrer 'Jigra' is the sort of understated prison break film that embodies the emotional heart of commercial Hindi cinema while balancing the art of being real!

A few days ago, a documentary on Salim-Javed discussed the art of creating the Hindi film hero—a larger-than-life figure born out of the need to save both the fictional and real world. Jigra seems like director Vasan Bala’s, who himself is a massive Hindi cinema fan, attempt to revive that legacy to fill the gap created onscreen but with a contemporary twist. He understands that recreating the magic of the ’70s doesn’t require replicating all its elements. Hence, we get an angry young woman in a politically correct, yet intense, action-packed film that avoids romanticizing toxicity or creating a 'hero' out of a human.

Drawing from the emotional drama typical of Hindi cinema and the subplot of Mahesh Bhatt's Gumraah, the film follows the journey of a sibling duo where the elder sister, Satya (Alia Bhatt), travels to a foreign Asian island to save her younger brother, Ankur (Vedang Raina), who faces the death penalty after being wrongfully accused of drug possession. I don't know if this is the effect of deciding to fit in a female character into a deadpan action hero template but, here, in this movie, trauma works as a catalyst to save rather than destroy. Particularly her father’s suicide fuels Satya's desire to save both herself and her brother, rather than seeking destruction or vengeance from the the whole world. 

Having said that, Bala, along with co-writer Debashish Irengbam, doesn’t let the-film's script get affected by the fact that it is a story of a strong female character. Rather, it works towards creating a strong character that happens to be a female. Satya is not defined or reduced to her gender, in fact, qualities often seen in a Hindi film hero are visible in her as she is a stoic, brooding, practical, one-tone character, for whom, after the immense struggle and loss of all hope, the lines of right and wrong have blurred. This is also seen in the well-crafted screenplay that stays true to the beats of a commercial prison break film, where the characters, both inside and outside of the jail, plot an epic escape from a brutal prison that tortures in the name of discipline and recreation. Yet, the film, irrespective of being a remake, doesn't forget to be authentic and inventive, reigning in the Bala effect! In the era of lazily crafted tributes, I particularly enjoyed the film’s meta moments—whether it was the song Dhindhora or a Darlings fable finding Alia Bhatt, the recurring references to Amitabh Bachchan, cameos of Sikander Kher, Radhika Madan or the constant injection of realization via comedy or imaginative reacreation that this is after all a fictional Hindi film.

Also Read: The intersection of cinema and mental health ft Aditya Kripalani!

This in turn lets the film seamlessly blend style with substance where Achint Thakkar’s atmospheric score, Swapnil S. Sonawane’s striking cinematography, and Prerna Saigal’s crisp editing heighten the effect of the film, so that each frame feels visually crafted, with stylized match cuts and eclectic music that elevate the quotient of the narrative to leave a lasting impact. But amidst all the stylization, the film never loses its emotional core. The bond between Satya and Ankur, as well as her relationships with others, remains deeply affecting. Even the tactfully-choreographed action scenes are rooted in context, serving the story rather than existing purely for spectacle.

Alia Bhatt has developed a reputation for portraying characters that feel close to reality while remaining aspirational. She does the same here with Satya whose madness, when ticked, flares up and knows no bounds. Bhatt potrays the role of this protective elder sister with such a layered performance that her eyes reflect the pain this cold-blooded angry girl internalizes. Vedang Raina complements her as the naive younger brother, delivering a performance that's one for the books which captures the agony of his ordeal in the prison without melodrama. The supporting cast, including a scene-stealing Manoj Pahwa, brings their effect and charm to their characters. 

Bala, with his talented team, has created something exceptional in Jigra. He presents a prison break story without relying on stereotypes or relenteless pursuit of overstylized toxic violence. His use of an Asian setting with a respectful representation of its culture, paves the way for a new kind of action cinema—one that doesn’t reduce foreign lands to mere villains. Even casting Indians as ruthless prison wardens or loyal police officers and not justifying the politics of violence with emotional overbearing. He has created a politically correct way of non-romanticising violence with full effect and emotional connect. Though the film falters a little bit here and there where it starts to take too long to reach its inevitable outcome, yet in larger scheme of things, it's hardly noticeable! 

By the end, as Alia Bhatt’s Satya drives a car through a wall, breaks glass ceilings, run on them and fights left, right, and centre through smoke, the child sitting next to me couldn’t help but clap and jump in excitement. And trust me, I was right there with him! Jigra is a triumph in many ways—whether in crafting a Bachchan-style female hero, keeping the violence understated and organic yet impactful, or Alia Bhatt's stint in action adding yet another gem to her string of telling good stories for a mass commercial effect. And I'm here for it all! 

Jigra is running at theatres near you!

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