Film: Jigra
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa
Directed by: Vasan Bala
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
Rating: * * ?
Drawing inspiration from Dharma Productions' own film Gumraah (1993), which was itself influenced by the mini series Bangkok Hilton (1989), Jigra features Alia Bhatt in the lead role of a prison-break drama. The original source material was not particularly strong; in the earlier film, Sanjay Dutt portrayed a hero rescuing his beloved Sri Devi from a Hong Kong prison, whereas in this adaptation, the narrative shifts to a brother-sister duo where the sister must save her brother.
Directed by Vasan Bala, known for his works such as Peddlers (2012), Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018), and Monica, O My Darling (2022), Jigra is filled with enjoyable Easter eggs, yet the overall narrative could benefit from greater cohesion. The film centers on a prison break, and given the absence of a compelling prison break film within the Hindi cinema genre, this potential is not fully realised here either. This is no Le Trou (1960), Jacques Becker's remarkable film based on a true story.
In the film, Alia Bhatt portrays Satya, the elder sister to Ankur (Vedang Raina). As a welcome departure from the typical narrative, the sister is determined to protect her brother. As a child, she confronts his bullies named Manik Irani and Jeevan among others, marking the first of many Easter eggs as Bala references real-life actors known for their villainous roles. The names of directors John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, and Kim Ki-duk also appear later in the film.
As orphans who have experienced a tragic event, Satya continues to look after Ankur as they grow older; he becomes involved in coding and programming, while she works as a manager for a wealthy individual whom she refers to as "uncle."
Ankur travels to a fictional city named Hanshi Dao, situated on an island in Southeast Asia, not far from Malaysia. Despite his innocence, he is apprehended for drug trafficking, a crime punishable by death via the electric chair -the court pronounces him guilty. Satya arranges a chartered flight to Hanshi Dao, with the famous law of the jungle scene from Agneepath (1990) playing on board during the journey.
She is resolute in her belief that she will successfully extricate her brother from the high-security prison in this foreign land. Meanwhile, Ankur faces hostility from fellow inmates and a jail warden named Hans Raj Landa (Vivek Gomber), a nod to Colonel Hans Landa from Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds (2009). Satya initially attempts several straightforward strategies that prove ineffective, but the situation shifts when she encounters Bhatia, also known as Tiger (Manoj Pahwa), a retired gangster whose son is also on death row. The name Tiger likely draws inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan's character in Hum (1991), where he played a retired gangster as well.
A significant portion of the film focuses on Satya and Bhatia, particularly Satya's efforts to rescue her brother. They fortuitously meet Muthu (Rahul Ravindran), a former police officer willing to bend a few rules for their cause, though he is hesitant to fully commit. While this premise sets the stage for potentially gripping prison break sequences, the execution ultimately falls a little flat. In such narratives, the intricacies often hold the key to success, yet the screenplay opts for overly convenient resolutions. Additionally, the film's length of 155 minutes feels excessive, causing it to lose its momentum at times. For instance, the prolonged fight scene between Satya and Muthu lacks justification for its intensity, yet it continues for an extended duration.
There are some deft in the film as well, such as the action sequence set to the song 'Yaari hai imaan mera' from Zanjeer (1973) and moments of humor, particularly when Bhatia attempts to narrate the tale of the scorpion and the frog, a story that has been referenced multiple times in recent Hindi cinema. "Woh main bahut baar sun chuki hoon" (I've heard it many times), she remarks.
Furthermore, the director successfully elicits outstanding performances from the cast; Alia Bhatt seamlessly embodies her character and excels in scenes that require subtlety. The supporting cast is well-suited
to their roles.
All in all, Jigra reflects more of the characteristics of a Dharma production rather than those of a
Vasan Bala film.