This
is
no
straight-forward
sob
story,
observes
Mayur
Sanap.
It’s
always
exciting
to
see
a
talented
film-maker
making
a
leap
into
the
world
of
big
budget,
mainstream
cinema
and
put
their
fresh,
distinctive
approach
to
good
use.
Director
Vasan
Bala
gets
that
opportunity
in
Jigra,
which
has
Alia
Bhatt
serving
a
dual
role
as
the
film’s
leading
star
and
co-producer.
After
a
slew
of
intriguing
posters,
the
teaser
reveals
that
Jigra
is
a
sophisticated
thriller
with
a
strong
emotional
undercurrent
of
a
sibling
bond.
While
Alia
is
expectedly
impressive
in
yet
another
fiery
outing,
it
is
Bala’s
unique
film-making
voice
that
is
felt
strongly
in
Jigra‘s
first
glimpse.
The
teaser
opens
with
Alia
drinking
in
a
bar
and
narrating
her
sorrowful
life
story
to
someone
sitting
across
the
table.
Shorn
of
any
glamour,
she
is
speaking
in
a
more
restrained
manner.
We
learn
that
she
is
an
orphan
and
her
younger
brother,
played
by
Vedang
Raina,
is
the
only
family
member
she
is
left
with.
She
is
distraught
because
her
brother
is
imprisoned.
When
a
character
suggests
breaking
into
the
prison
to
save
her
brother,
Alia
gives
a
dejected
smile.
But
this
is
no
straight-forward
sob
story.
The
tension
builds
up
as
we
see
Alia
in
an
elaborate
plan
carrying
sharp
weapons
and
driving
through
flames
as
she
defies
a
foreign
prison
system,
presumably
to
save
her
brother.
There
is
a
strange
mix
of
grimness
and
grandeur
and
it
only
adds
to
the
appeal
of
this
crackerjack
premise.
It
does
have
flashes
of
the
American
thriller
series
Prison
Break,
but
the
tightened
dramatic
focus
hints
that
Jigra
might
be
more
of
a
relationship
drama
than
an
action
thriller.
The
mood,
style
and
some
really
good
looking
shots
remind
of
Bala’s
sleek
actioner
Mard
Ko
Dard
Nahi
Hota.
And
he
may
have
kept
the
gritty
spirit
of
his
2012
debut
feature
Peddlers,
which
remains
unreleased.
All
this
is
followed
by
a
sombre
rendition
of
the
R
D
Burman
classic
Phoolon
Ka
Taaro
Ka
to
steer
the
emotional
weight
of
the
story.
The
last
shot
of
Alia
hugging
Vedang
tightly
as
he
is
about
to
leave
is
so
palpable
that
it
has
me
feeling
already
invested
in
their
sibling
bond.
Now
that
is
something!
Jigra
arrives
in
cinemas
on
October
11.
