Alia's film moves forward with the impression of 'Dhurandhar', but strays before reaching its destination

Yash Raj Spy Universe's first female lead film, Alpha, has hit the theatres on a large scale, with high-octane action and a new concept. The trailer was expected to give the Spy Universe new heights but the film doesn't fully live up to that expectation. Director Shiv Rawail has worked hard to give it the look of an international spy thriller. The visuals, action and production value impress, but the poor screenplay and dull emotional resonance hold the film back again and again. The 140-minute-long film begins on July 27, 1999. Vikrant Kaul (Anil Kapoor) and Fateh Singh Lakhwat (Bobby Deol) of the Indian Army dream of creating the country's most dangerous secret force. That's what started Team Alpha, whose soldiers are given Alpha Serum. This serum enhances the strength, reflex and recovery of a person manifold. Meanwhile, Vikrant also gives Alpha Serum to his pregnant wife Janaki (Dia Mirza) to save her life. This decision changes his entire life. Fateh believes that only the army had the right to this serum. He separates Vikrant's newborn daughter from him and assures him that his daughter is dead. Years later, the same daughter Sita (Alia Bhatt) has become a dangerous weapon under Fateh's watch. Since childhood, she is given a mission and keeps on eliminating the enemies of the country, but one day she realizes that the person she considered as her guru is the biggest criminal. On the other hand, Vikrant's second daughter, Durga (Sharvari), who grew up in Spain, enters. The two sisters come face to face and the story revolves around the mystery of Operation Odyssey. After all, what is Fateh's real mission, what is his motive behind Operation Odissi and whether Sita will be able to stop him, the same questions are answered in the climax of the film. Alia Bhatt has worked hard in the role of Sita in the film. He has put all his energy into the action sequences and also leaves an impact in many scenes. However, in the emotional scene, his character does not connect with the audience as much as it should. Sharvari has got less screen space but she has done a good job and done justice to her character in whatever opportunity she gets. Bobby Deol is the biggest surprise package of the film. His passion, silence and dangerous screen presence in the role of Fateh Singh Lakhwat emerge as the film's biggest strength. Anil Kapoor also fits his character perfectly. At the end of the film, Hrithik Roshan's cameo comes as a good surprise for the fans of the Spy Universe and also increases the curiosity for the upcoming films. Director Shiv Rawail has tried to give the film a Hollywood-style spy thriller treatment. The cinematography is excellent. The sepia tones, large sets and beautiful locations give the film a superb visual appeal. The first fight sequence between Alia and Sharvari in particular is the strongest part of the film. However, at the level of the story, the film is weakened in many places. The screenplay is loose and many of the incidents unfold without any solid basis. There are certain twists but they don't have the thrill that can keep the audience hooked throughout the film. Even in the emotional scenes, the film fails to leave an impact. In many places the spy agents have been made so superhuman that the story seems to be moving away from reality. Despite such good concepts, writing is not able to take full advantage of them. The music in the film The background score of the film fits perfectly with the tone of the story and supports the action. But there is no track in the songs that are remembered even after the film is over. The final destiny of the film Alpha is visually stunning, the action is powerful and Bobby Deol impresses the most with his character. Alia Bhatt has also tried to handle the film with all sincerity but the first half of the film moves at an average pace. The real game begins after the interval when a big truth about Bobby Deol's grey shade character is revealed. This twist breathes new life into the story and for a while the film starts to feel like a spy thriller like Dhurandhar. However, even after this, the weak screenplay does not allow the film to fly completely. The post-interval twists and Bobby Deol's grey character levels make the film better but the poor writing fails to maintain its momentum till the end. If you are a fan of stylish action and the Yash Raj Spy Universe on the big screen, you can watch the film once, but at the level of the story it may not satisfy you completely.