Jigra might not have hit it big at the box office, but Netflix sure is another ball game. Audiences are loving this Alia Bhatt thriller, possibly because, even while makers think they’ve checked all the boxes, one never really knows what an Indian movie fan wants right? However, Netflix fans have been more generous in their Jigra reviews as opposed to cine-goers and we happen to be one of them! Read on…
Spoiler Alert
If one were to say that Bollywood will deliver a jailbreak story with a female lead driving the narrative, it would be hard to digest visually, even in 2024. But when the story of Jigra warmed up, taking along its audiences on whirlwind action, unexpected plot twists and emotion, all accompanied by a stone-faced Satya, played by Alia Bhatt, and a strong but silent Ankur, played by Vedang Raina, one began to enjoy the ride, albeit with bated breath.
Jigra is a story of Satya, essayed by Alia Bhatt who has to rescue her brother Ankur played by Vedang Raina from a high security prison. The charges are drug trafficking and the country is Hanshi Dao, a fictional place where laws are super strict and the punishment for carrying drugs or trafficking them, is death by electrocution. The country is undergoing a revolution of sorts, but the framework is still very much in place – How will Satya manage to achieve the impossible?
Jigra hit watch-worthy content for a number of reasons. And if you’re having trouble deciding what to watch this weekend, we’d say, give this one a go. The first half of the movie might be a bit slow on the pick-up, which is why it might not have stuck well with cinematic reviewers, but the seond half picks up remarkably.
If you’ve watched the Jigra trailer and were pulled into the thrilling action, that is what you wanted and anticipated, from the get-go. However, a slightly delayed adrenalin rush might have made the viewer waiting for the hit, a bit impatient or disappointed in the time lag. But what the first part of the narrative did was, set up the vision of Satya, a no-nonsense player who’s tough, yet knows when to play it subtle, courteous when need be, not because she was subservient, but because she was sharp, and had honed the survival instinct to a tee, living with a family she’s practically serving, and also, a young girl who is ferociously protective of her younger brother Ankur.
If Jigra had to cement that relationship and characterization, it did it well. However, a little more on the backstory could have helped, but more on that later.
It is interesting to note that the story was set in a fictional land of Hanshi Dao, filmed on location in Singapore – a country known for its strict drug enforcement laws and death penalty for carrying drugs, whether you are a foreigner or local. The inhabitants of Hanshi Dao also spoke in an accent and intonations that were thickly Singaporean. Hence, the similarities were startling and brought the make-believe location to life. Good to know that Singapore also has a sizebale Indian origin population that has settled there over the generations now, and Hanshi Dao mirrored more or less the same.
Hence it was easy for Satya to find people she gelled with and worked closely to rescue her brother. But that was probably the only easy part. The rest was a test of will, physical and mental endurance and loads of grit with some state-of-the-art special effects thrown in by the makers.
Jigra’s storytelling was both predictable yet riveting to watch. Where we knew that Ankur is going to get into deep trouble when he leaves Indian waters, his subsequent ordeal was anything but predictable. We also guessed that he would be wrongfully indicted and that Satya would turn the entire world upside down to rescue her brother, but there was no recourse to the typical Indian movie trope seen often enough on our screens.
No alpha male lurking in the background to rescue the damsel in distress.
No utterly sweet as sugar brother-sister bond that dripped of Indian movie narratives milking the public sentiment (thank Goodness they realized its 2024).
Also, the one moment where emotions were channeled, it worked beautifully as the classic lyrics from Bollywood, ‘Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka’ belted out amidst a heavily action laden scene, and that too, in ethereal slow motion, adding to the awakened era of ‘tough as nails’ female lead battling it out to win her brother. The song added miles to the screenplay and even as we told ourselves as audiences, “this is impossible”, the stunts were executed with great precision and expert edits to take the narrative up several levels.
One also wondered at Alia’s physical fitness – one for the books for sure, especially in a long drawn out scene where Satya and Mutthu (Rahul Ravindhran) battle it out with bare hands, grappling upclose and not holding back in the least. The scene was conceptualized, executed and performed in absolute stellar manner so that even as we pick up the pieces in the end, even though we know it was miraculous, whatever happened down there, the film maker sold his vision, crossing each t and dotting his i’s with precision. Vasan Bhala and team deserve a shout out for exceptional choreography here and in other scenes.
Other moments that served to impress were Satya and Ankur playing basketball and then Muthhu and Satya fighting it out, twice. Alia was able to thrust herself into the heart of an action scene and come out a winner. If the action is what you came for, then you’ll get it full throttle.
Another character that stood out was that of OIC Hansraj Landa, played by Vivek Gomber. It was interesting how the vision of an Indian looking official made Ankur feel safe, but that was not to be. Landa played the exacting prison warden with an unrelenting grip on his prisoners and although one can say the characterization was a tad predictable, the performance left nothing out and injected the much needed conflict and animosity that pushed the impossibility of the rescue mission to a whole new level.
The film played with storytelling in interesting ways. Often, a scene would be done and the backstory of how the characters got there would be related soon after. Especially as Ankur and company planned their first attempt. The emotional bonds created by the group outside, planning the jailbreak, was believable and added a desi flavour without it being outwardly over the top, with just the right teary-eyed moments to give us the highs and lows of the show.
A defiant jailbreak helmed by a young woman, against a high security prison would of course, have its incredulous moments, and Jigra had many. The timing, the final save, the jumping off of rooftops as if the entire cast trained alongside Tom Cruise in all Mission Impossible franchises might have added a heavu dose of the unbelievable, but then attention to detail sort of made up for the larger than life screenplay. After all, if Tom Cruise can do it, then why not Alia Bhatt and cronies? It all depends on how you shape it.
What set the movie apart and why it added traction to a thriller that many will be watching on Netflix is that, just as we feared that the narrative will tumble into a predictable spiral, soppy brother-sister scenes or even an elongated version of Don 2, the drama stopped at the right time, yet not without its last minute edge of the seat moments.
What’s Missing
The one point Jigra could have given more is in the telling of Satya and Ankur’s tale as children. One kept thinking there was a connection between their father going the way he did and the family who took them in. One also wondered why and how Satya became the way she did. Those missing links might have satisfied the sharp reviewer but like we said, the second part of the narrative made up hugely for the drop in the first. Ankur’s character and journey could also have been explored in more depth. Rather than keeping the spotlight on Satya, one wanted Ankur to step out from behind the shadows and turn the tables on his enemies too, showing Satya and us, that he had come of age, and he too could protect. But perhaps, that might have added a dramatic, Bollywood flair to a story that kept it heavily female focused and we’re not complaining.
The story hooked till the end, even as we thought it’s all over. And that perhaps, is the mark of a story teller who rounds off a riveting tale with an ending that does not disappoint. If you ask us the one takeaway from the film? It is the fact that a female lead delivered audiences with a full-on action thriller, a jailbreak, a drama laced with suspense, pulling a few punches and fair share of kicks without a tradional male lead, and also, walking away with a show that will shift the game in Bollywood. There are many more heroines who can do this and with panache – Deepika Padukone, Taapsi Pannu. Kiara Advani are just a few who come to mind, and they all they need now is a narrative that believes in them.
Jigra is your one-stop Netflix action thriller rolled into several mini heart attacks. It is for the thrill seeker in you, the one who craves good ol’ action, a tear jerker without unnecessary drama and performances to match. We give it a 4 out of 5 stars for pure defiance, courage and a step in the right direction – for the makers to field a movie with a female action lead who literally killed it in all departments.
About Jigra
Jigra, first released in cinemas in October 2024, is directed by Vasan Bala. The cast features Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, and Vivek Gomber, Rahul Ravindhran in supporting roles. It is now was available for streaming on Netflix since December 6, 2024.
Jigra is the story of Satya Anand, played by Alia Bhatt, a devoted sister who embarks on a dangerous journey full of risks and life threatening moments, to rescue her brother, Ankur Anand, portrayed by Vedang Raina, implicated in a drugs case overseas.
The film is one of the few if any jailbreak movies coming our of Bollywood with a singularly female lead driving the screenplay. The narrative delves into themes of relationships, family, loyalty, commitment and determination – a high stakes narrative with adrenalin pumping action. It is produced under the banner of Dharma Productions and presented by Viacom18 Studios and Eternal Sunshine Productions.
Jigra’s script was co-written by Debashish Irengbam and Vasan Bala. One of the highlights of the movie is the recreation of the iconic song ‘Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka’, featuring Vedang Raina’s vocal performance, adding a nostalgic yet contemporary touch to the film.
