MUMBAI: Prison break movies can prove to be real white-knuckle rides as evidenced in Escape from Alcatraz, The Shawshank Redemption, Cool Hand Luke, The Great Escape, Papillon, Runaway Train, or The Next Three Days (apparently the inspiration behind our film of discussion, which, in itself was inspired by a French film). When it comes to Bollywood though, no other film of note other than Mahesh Bhatt's Gumrah comes to mind. Does the Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina starrer, Jigra, directed by Vasan Bala and produced by Karan Johar shake up that status quo? Well, it's not so much a shakeup as it's a mere ripple in our Hindi cinematic canvas.
Satya, who's ensured a traumatic childhood and grapples with stability as an adult, finds her only solace in her younger brother, Ankur. It's no wonder then that she's willing to go to any lengths to break him out of a nigh impregnable foreign prision (set in some fictitious East-Asian country), and it's down to a magnificently jittery, bag-of-nerves performance by Alia Bhatt, which seamlessly metamorphoses into ironclad will for her brother's rescue that lifts an otherwise long-winded, and plot-hole ridden escape. It's also massive help that Vedang Raina plays a supportive fish out of water, crying for a vestige or succor out of his predicament just how the doctor ordered.
Take Alia and Vedang's conviction and determination in their portrayals out of the equation, and you're left with a prison-break film that feels more like a hackneyed attempt to bunk a post-lunch lecture in college. Thankfully, Vasan Bala's direction and his script, co-written with Debashish Irengbam, nails the protagonists' sibling bond, which does more than enough to tug at your heartstrings, distracting you somewhat from the other inconsistencies in the narrative.
The production design and Swapnil S. Sonawane's camerawork is also top notch, leaving an impression on your vision. The same can't be said though for Prerna Saigal's cuts, with the editing being arguably the weakest aspect of the film, stretching plot points almost to the point of them snapping. The songs and background score, too, barely pass muster.
Once again, it's up to Alia Bhatt to save the day and she all but pulls it off with another riveting, gritty act, ably supported by Vedang Raina, who builds on the promise displayed in his debut, The Archies. If you're a diehard Alia Bhatt fan then this merits a trip to the theater.
3/5 stars
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