Jigra review: Bollywood has been obsessed with the idea of making films set in jail – starting from Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Deewar’ (2004), Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Lucknow Central’ (2017), or this year’s ‘Savi’ (2024), something or the other comes out every year. The audience’s desire to watch something unique encourages producers and directors to keep making such films, and the latest one on the list is Jigra. The highly anticipated Alia Bhatt film released today (October 11), showcases a jailbreak story.

Storyline
The story begins in London, where Satya Anand (Alia Bhatt) lives with her younger brother Ankur Anand (Vedang Raina) at their uncle’s house. Satya matures early due to her father’s suicide in childhood. She works for her uncle. Ankur and his cousin Kabir travel to Hanoi Dao for a software business deal, however get arrested for illegal substances. Kabir’s lawyer frames Ankur, who receives a death sentence within three months.
Will Satya save her brother from the death penalty, or will she succumb to the stringent foreign laws? Find out by watching the film.

Direction, Writing
Vasan Bala returns with ‘Jigra’ after directing ‘Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota’ and ‘Monica, O My Darling.’ He has written the film with Debashish Irenbam. Bala excels in showcasing sibling love. However, the story could have been crisper. The detailed jailbreak plan and foreign law depiction make the film lengthy.

Acting
Alia Bhatt shines as the fearless and determined sister. Vedang Raina also delivers a commendable performance. Supporting actors Manoj Pawah, Vivek Gomber, and Rahul Ravindran fit their roles perfectly. Radhika Madan’s brief appearance is a signature Vasan Bala touch.

Final Verdict
Alia exudes confidence in ‘Jigra.’ Having said that, the film’s hype isn’t anything compared to her previous film, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.’ Probably because of minimal promotion, the first-day show had sparse audience. It remains to be seen if this jailbreak movie will attract viewers to theaters.

Review by– Navin Singh Bhardwaj