ALPHA  (Hindi with English subtitles) in theatres

Peneflix has neglected the Bollywood genre of late; star Alia Bhatt lured me to visit her latest film “Alpha”. She is stratospherically stunning and more than worthy of the 2 & 1/2 hour screening.

Years ago, I was fortunate to have spent a remarkable week in Mumbai, interviewing Bollywood scions: directors, set designers, critics, actors; it was during an interview with Soni Razdan (wife of Mahesh Bhatt, who I also interviewed) in her home that her daughter Alia waltzed in and captivated me. Now at thirty-three, at the pinnacle of her career, she dominates the screen.

“Alpha,” a spy thriller, is a dynamic example of pure Bollywood kitsch with a twenty-first-century spin. Director Shiv Rawail’s debut feature suggests a promising career, with whirlwind, neck-snapping action; a convoluted plot; a “never trust the obvious” scenario; and the expected dance numbers. Sharvari flies across the screen in a “23” T-shirt, evoking Michael Jordan’s global popularity. Alongside Bhatt as Sita and Sharvari as Durga, a warrior goddess, Bobby Deol, Hrithik Roshan, and Anil Kapoor help center the film on female action heroines who outshine their male counterparts.

Bhatt in “Alpha” joins the ranks of the “Kill Bill”, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “Mad Max” franchises; “Sita” is the product of the power enhancing serum, alpha, created to kill, feelingless, but eventually intelligent enough to recognize the unwantedness, wickedness of her juvenile upbringing.

THREE & ½ STARS!!

Peneflix