- Director – Vasan Bala
- Writers – Vasan Bala, Debashish Irengbam
- Cast – Alia Bhatt, Vedang Rana, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, Yuvraj Vijan, Dheer Hira, Manoj Pahwa
“Jigra” is an intense 2024 Hindi-language action thriller directed by Vasan Bala and co-written with Debashish Irengbam. Produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt, and Soumen Mishra under Dharma Productions and Eternal Sunshine Productions, this gripping film stars Alia Bhatt as a determined young woman on a mission to rescue her brother (played by Vedang Raina) from prison.
What is about
“Jigra” is the story of two siblings Satya (Alia Bhatt) and Ankur (Vedang Raina) who are orphaned in childhood and grow up in the house of wealthy relatives. When Ankur is sentenced to death for drug possession in the fictitious country of Hansi Dao, Satya vows to free him at any cost. The story is not new but the way it is portrayed is different.
Performances
Alia Bhatt has given a wonderful performance as an action star and a deeply emotional character. For the first time, Alia has done action scenes which look good on her and she has done them brilliantly. The actress has performed the death-defying stunts with passion and has portrayed anger, helplessness and resilience very well. Vedang Raina has done a good job as Bhai. This is Vedang’s second film and he has proved that if he gets a good role, he can do it well. Manoj Pahwa as the partner, whose son is also a prisoner, deserves a special mention. He delivers an endearing and relatable performance as Bhatia, who helps Satya with her plans in Hanshi Dao. Actor and Chi La Sow-fame director Rahul Ravindran makes his Hindi debut with Jigra, playing the role of Muthu, an ex-police officer who wishes to get somebody out from the prison. He plays a jaded yet sensible character with restrained expressions and measured body language.
Technicalities
The production design of Jigra is loaded with inspired aesthetics and necessary realism. Most of Hanshi Dao has been recreated and shot in Mumbai, and it is commendable how well the recreation is, given the budget and original locations. There are some VFX portions in the film, involving the ocean and the prison, and they look so real that nobody will think it is VFX.
Alia Bhatt’s character Satya is entirely dressed in masculine outfits like oversized shirts, jeans and business suits. Fans who love seeing the actress in more glamorous garb might be disappointed. The music of the film, which includes a recreation of RD Burman’s famous son Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai, hit all the right notes, leaving the audience humming long after the end credits roll.
Conclusion
Jigra is a traditional, simple emotional story of siblings from the 80s-90s. What makes it different is the female protagonist and the exotic backdrop. The film could have been better had it been a little more narratively driven. There is nothing innovative in the story. The story is filled with details about Hanshi Dao, its politics and the legal system.
While the emotional factor of the film will keep everyone engaged, these details of Hanshi Dao may seem very interesting to some while alienating others. The film is mainstream and niche at the same time.
Jigra is mostly an event-driven film, but the problem is that we know how the film is going to end, so the events become predictable after a point. Instead of just taking us through the events, Jigra should have been more of a character drama.
The music of the film is melodious, which gives a new dimension to the film.
Vasan Bala is certainly a talented and interesting director and it’s good to see his work getting mainstream attention. The film (at 2 hours 35 minutes) feels a little long due to its pace and some of its creative calls.
Instead of giving the audience a mellow, meditative experience, it could have been worked on to give it a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat experience. In short, Jigra reminds the audience that it is an emotional story and an action story separately, but not together.