Alpha Review: Alia Bhatt Tries, the Action Director Didn’t Bother

Alpha Review Verdict: Alpha is the YRF Spy Universe’s seventh entry and its most watchable in recent memory, which is a low bar, but a real one. The emotional foundation is better than expected. The Alia-vs-Sharvari action sequence is the franchise’s best fight in years. Everything else, the lazy action choreography, the copy-paste spy universe checklist, the unnecessary Hrithik cameo, confirms this franchise is still coasting on spectacle budget while delivering execution well below average.

I went into Alpha with fairly low expectations after Tiger 3 and War 2, so I was surprised that the first 30–40 minutes actually worked better than I expected. The emotional setup between Sita and Bobby Deol gives the story a stronger foundation than most recent YRF Spy Universe films. Unfortunately, once the movie shifts into its action-heavy second half, many of the franchise’s old problems return.

Quick Verdict

Alpha arrives as the final installment of the first official batch of YRF Spy Universe films, following Pathaan, Tiger 3, and War 2, and it carries the modest distinction of being the best of that group to actually deliver on the emotional setup it promises in its first act. Alia Bhatt is doing real work here, especially in scenes that give her actual material to play. Bobby Deol is a genuinely threatening villain until the film undersells him. The Alia versus Sharvari hand-to-hand fight sequence is choreographed with more intelligence and spatial thinking than anything the franchise has produced in years.

But Alpha is also, fundamentally, a film that ticked every box on the YRF Spy Universe checklist: foreign country introduction, item-adjacent song entry for a female character, universe cameo that adds nothing structurally, brand sponsorship integration, patriotic antagonist framing, while delivering action sequences that belong in a 2000s cable action film, not a 2026 theatrical release. The franchise needed to evolve after Tiger 3 and War 2’s failures. Alpha evolved slightly in tone, not in craft.

Alpha (2026) — Movie Info

What Is the Alpha Movie About?

Alpha centers on Sita (Alia Bhatt), a super soldier created through Bobby Deol’s clandestine “Alpha Program”, India’s attempt to build a next-generation operative. Deol’s character has raised Sita since childhood, keeping her in controlled captivity and training her to be the closest thing Bollywood has produced to a desi Captain America. Her senses are enhanced, her reflexes are superhuman, and she can dodge bullets, a narrative justification that the film correctly establishes early so that the action can be larger-than-life without breaking internal logic.

The problem begins when India shuts down the Alpha Program due to concerns about its methods. Bobby Deol’s character, determined to continue his work, pivots to operating through Sita. But when his decisions begin to damage national interests, and when Sita’s loyalties are pulled by Anil Kapoor’s character, who has his own past connection to the program, Sita turns against her adoptive father. Sharvari plays a character whose track eventually intersects with Sita’s in ways that produce the film’s best sequence.

Pakistan is positioned as the broader antagonist in the background, framed through the lens the franchise has always used for cross-border geopolitical conflict.

Alpha 2026 Movie Cast

Is Hrithik Roshan in Alpha?

Yes, Hrithik Roshan appears in Alpha in a cameo role. However, after watching the film, I felt his cameo was entirely dispensable. The movie would play out almost exactly the same without it. It follows the established YRF Spy Universe template: a major star arrives, performs a brief action sequence, generates audience cheers, and disappears. The cameo exists for franchise-building signaling, not for narrative purposes.

Is There a Post-Credit Scene in Alpha?

During my screening, Alpha follows the standard YRF Spy Universe convention of including a scene or setup pointing toward the franchise’s next chapter. Confirm with your local theatre listing whether a mid- or post-credits sequence is included, as these details can vary between screenings.

What the YRF Spy Universe Checklist Looks Like in 2026

While watching Alpha, I couldn’t ignore how closely it follows the familiar YRF Spy Universe formula. Almost every recurring franchise element appears once again:

• Female character introduced via a dance/song in a foreign or glamorous location
• Universe cameo from an established franchise star
• Underwear or beach-adjacent shot (the “bikini shot” equivalent)
• Pakistan is positioned as an antagonist or a threat
• Brand sponsorship is awkwardly integrated into a scene
• Action that exceeds real-world physics justified by a superhuman character framing
• Emotional flashback establishes character motivation

The one checklist item Alpha opts out of: the previous films’ signature over-the-top set pieces on moving trains, ships, or aircraft. Alpha keeps its action grounded, literally on the ground, which I actually appreciated because it makes the action feel a little more grounded than previous entries. Whether “we didn’t do the action on a train this time” constitutes genuine evolution is debatable.

Alpha Movie Review: What Works

The Emotional Setup

The opening act genuinely surprised me. When I went in with low expectations after Tiger 3 and War 2, Alpha’s first act, establishing Sita’s backstory, her relationship with Bobby Deol’s character as an adoptive father-daughter dynamic, and the emotional stakes of the Alpha Program’s shutdown, lands with more genuine feeling than the franchise has generated in years. This is actually better than I expected.

The super soldier premise is also handled with more narrative intelligence than a typical Bollywood action setup. By establishing Sita as biologically enhanced, capable of dodging bullets, processing information faster than normal humans, the film gives itself permission for larger-than-life action without the audience having to suspend disbelief for a normal person performing superhuman feats. That is a thoughtful choice that the franchise’s action department then fails to capitalize on.

Alia Bhatt’s Performance

Alia Bhatt is the film’s most consistent credit. In scenes that give her actual dramatic material, emotional confrontations, and morally weighted decisions, the relationship with Bobby Deol’s villain, she is doing genuine work. Her performance with corny dialogue is notably committed: she makes the worst lines as normal as possible rather than leaning into their absurdity. Her visible effort in the action sequences stands out. I could clearly see the amount of physical work she put into the role, even if the action choreography doesn’t always support her performance, even if the action choreography itself doesn’t always support her.

The specific limitation is not Bhatt’s effort; it is the camera’s relationship to her action. When a character is not yet believed as a fighter by the audience, the editing and choreography need to construct that credibility through shot selection and physical specificity. Alpha’s action direction does neither, and the editing makes the situation worse by cutting away from moments that need to hold longer to register.

The Alia vs. Sharvari Sequence

For me, the Alia vs. Sharvari fight is easily the strongest action sequence in the entire film. It’s also the only sequence where the choreography genuinely thinks about space, environment, and character dynamics. The two women use objects and furniture around them. The power shifts between the combatants feel motivated rather than arbitrary. The physical grammar of the scene communicates who is dominating at any given moment. It stood out because the rest of the action rarely reached the same level.

The Alia versus Bobby Deol climactic fight is working better than the rest of the film’s action; the close-quarters intensity generates some of the tension that the earlier sequences fail to produce.

Sharvari

Sharvari delivers a stronger performance and a more significant role than the trailers indicated. One of my favorite surprises was the emotional exchange between Sharvari and Sita. It worked much better than I expected. “This is good.” Her screen presence is strong throughout, and her character’s track, while introduced through the obligatory foreign-location song that is disposable, becomes more meaningful once the narrative threads connect in the second half.

Alpha Movie Review: What Doesn’t Work

The Action Choreography

This is Alpha’s most significant and most consistent failure. For a film that justified its super soldier premise specifically so the action could be spectacular, the action is resoundingly not spectacular.

The first major action sequence, Sita’s introductory set piece, designed to establish her as a threat, is the film’s biggest early disappointment. The choreography feels like basic routine action, a series of gunshots and falls without physical logic, spatial intelligence, or any choreographic ideas that distinguish it from cable television action from two decades ago. The screenplay had a footnote that said “action happens here,” and the production team arrived on the day and figured it out.

The editing compounds the choreography’s weaknesses. Close-quarters action requires frames held long enough to read the physical exchange; the cuts in Alpha’s action sequences are too fast and too frequent to allow any sequence to register physically. Dialogue scenes and basic transitions are cut too quickly, suggesting an editing approach that prioritizes pace over the viewer’s ability to process what they are watching.

The comparison to John Wick, whose lighting and visual approach Alpha reportedly references, makes the gap explicit. John Wick’s action is defined by choreographic commitment, wide frames that show full-body movement, and editing that serves the choreography. Alpha inverts this: the choreography is not committed enough to be served by its editing.

The Hrithik Roshan Cameo

Hrithik Roshan is a generationally gifted action performer. His appearance in Alpha does nothing with that gift. Personally, I felt the cameo follows the YRF template exactly: arrival, brief action, audience cheers, disappearance. The narrative would be identical without it. This is a criticism not of Roshan but of how the franchise continues to deploy cameos as proof of connected universe ambition rather than as meaningful story elements. War 2 had the same problem.

Bobby Deol — Underused in His Own Film

Bobby Deol is set up effectively, a villain with ideological conviction, a complex father-daughter dynamic with Sita, and enough screen authority to be threatening. I actually thought Bobby Deol in the teaser trailer stood out more than in the final film. The franchise checklist intrudes: there is a moment where the character does something so routine and formula-driven that I almost felt like throwing metaphorical popcorn at the screen because the film once again falls back on the same predictable franchise formula.

Sharvari’s Introduction — The Checklist Entry

Sharvari’s character introduction via a dance sequence in a foreign location is entirely insignificant, an entry point that exists to fulfill the franchise template rather than to tell us anything meaningful about her character. Sharvari herself is fine; the sequence around her entry is not. It honestly felt more like an advertisement than a proper character introduction.

The Background Score

The introductory action sequence’s background track, containing lyrics approximating “You are fire,” is specifically too corny and used too frequently. The trailer’s music, which was strong, is held until the film’s climactic moments, where it works better, but the question is why it was not deployed earlier, when the film needed all the help it could get.

Brand Integration

At least one prominent brand integration was awkwardly inserted into the narrative. Both acknowledged this is a production reality, films need sponsorship, while noting that the integration here is not seamless.

Is the YRF Spy Universe Running Out of Steam?

The context matters for understanding Alpha’s place in franchise history. Pathaan (2023) was a genuine commercial success and franchise foundation. Tiger 3 disappointed critically and commercially relative to expectations. War 2 was widely considered the franchise’s weakest entry. Alpha arrives after two consecutive underwhelming entries and carries the expectation of course correction.

Audience expectation has shifted since Dhurander; viewers no longer want the traditional YRF spy formula: Indian soldier versus Pakistani soldier, bikini shots, foreign locations, heroes who cannot be harmed. They want something that evolves. Alpha does not deliver that evolution at the action or screenplay level, primarily because the film was in production before Dhurander’s release reshaped audience expectations.

What Alpha does deliver, slightly more grounded action, a better-motivated villain, stronger emotional setup than Tiger 3 or War 2, is real but insufficient. The franchise still has structural issues that a better emotional foundation cannot resolve.

Alpha vs. Other YRF Spy Universe Films

Alpha matches the franchise’s recent tier rather than meaningfully transcending it. The emotional first act and the Alia-Sharvari sequence push it toward the upper end of that tier, while the action failures and checklist-compliance pull it back down. It is the most watchable recent entry, but not by enough of a margin to constitute a turnaround.

What Alpha Gets Right

The emotional foundation. The first act, Bobby Deol’s Alpha Program, its shutdown, Sita’s upbringing, the adoptive father-daughter dynamic, is more genuinely affecting than anything the recent YRF Spy Universe entries attempted.

Alia Bhatt’s performance. Committed, effortful, and effective in every scene that gives her dramatic material to work with.

The Alia vs. Sharvari sequence. The franchise’s best-choreographed fight in years, spatial intelligence, character dynamics, and environmental use.

Sharvari’s character. More impactful than the trailers indicated, the emotional scene between her and Alia is a genuine highlight.

Bobby Deol as the villain. Better set up and more ideologically interesting than the franchise’s recent antagonists.

The super soldier premise. A thoughtful narrative justification that earned the larger-than-life action, even if the action department failed to capitalize on it.

What Could Be Better

The action choreography. Below average for a 2026 theatrical release. Lazy, unimaginative, and edited in a way that compounds rather than conceals its weaknesses.

The franchise checklist compliance. Every predictable beat arrives as scheduled. The film never surprises in ways that matter.

The Hrithik Roshan cameo. Structurally pointless. The film is identical without it.

Bobby Deol’s underuse in his own role. An effective villain setup was squandered by formula.

Sharvari’s introduction. A foreign-location song entry that tells us nothing about her character.

The background score in action sequences. Corny, overused, and weaker than the trailer’s music suggested was possible.

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

• The emotional first act works better than expected from this franchise
• Alia Bhatt gives a committed, genuine performance
• Alia vs. Sharvari fight is the film’s best sequence and the franchise’s best fight recently
• Bobby Deol is a credible villain with ideological motivation
• Sharvari is more significant and effective than the trailers suggested
• Super soldier premise thoughtfully justified to allow larger-than-life action
• More grounded tone than Tiger 3 or War 2
• Bobby Deol vs. Alia Bhatt climax delivers some tension

✗ Cons

• Action choreography is lazy and below average for a 2026 theatrical release
• Every YRF Spy Universe franchise box is checked, and there is no genuine evolution
• Hrithik Roshan’s cameo is structurally pointless
• Editing is too fast throughout, including in non-action scenes
• Background score in action sequences is corny and overused
• Sharvari’s introduction scene is a franchise formula delivery, not a character moment
• Brand integration is awkward
• Bobby Deol’s villain is underused despite a strong setup

Is Alpha Worth Watching?

Alpha is a borderline case that depends entirely on your relationship with the YRF Spy Universe. If you enjoyed Pathaan and have been tolerating the subsequent entries, hoping for improvement, Alpha offers the most genuine step forward in terms of emotional grounding and at least one memorable action sequence. If you walked out of Tiger 3 or War 2 feeling like the franchise was broken, Alpha will not change your view; the same structural problems persist, and the action craft has not improved.

As a standalone film independent of franchise context, it is a passable action thriller with a good lead performance, one excellent fight sequence, and a first act that earns genuine investment before the film’s limitations reassert themselves.

The verdict: “timepass”, a watchable experience that falls well short of what the premise could have supported.

Where to Watch Alpha

Alpha is currently in theatrical release. As a YRF production, it will eventually be released on streaming via Amazon Prime Video, which holds YRF’s streaming rights for its major releases in India and internationally. A streaming date has not been confirmed. Check Amazon Prime Video for availability after the theatrical window.

Final Verdict

Alpha is the YRF Spy Universe’s most emotionally honest recent film and its most technically underwhelming action film simultaneously. Those two facts coexist, and that coexistence is the film’s defining characteristic: it reaches for something real in its character work and then fails to provide the action craft that would make that emotional investment pay off. Alia Bhatt deserved better support from the action department. The franchise deserves better support from itself. Alpha is fine. The YRF Spy Universe needed more than fine.

If you enjoyed our Alpha Review, be sure to explore more of our latest movie and TV reviews covering the biggest releases of 2026. From Enola Holmes 3, Citizen Vigilante, Minions and Monsters, Couture, and many more, you’ll find honest spoiler-free reviews, ending explained guides, cast breakdowns, streaming updates, and in-depth analysis to help you decide what’s worth watching next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the Alpha movie about in 2026?

Ans. Alpha (2026) is a YRF Spy Universe action thriller in which Alia Bhatt plays Sita, a super soldier raised and trained by a clandestine program run by Bobby Deol’s character. When the Indian government shuts down the Alpha Program, Bobby Deol attempts to continue it against national interests. Sita, unwilling to support decisions that harm her country, turns against her adoptive father. The film also stars Sharvari, Anil Kapoor, and features a cameo from Hrithik Roshan.

Q. Is Hrithik Roshan in Alpha?

Ans. Yes. Hrithik Roshan appears in Alpha in a cameo role. In my opinion, the cameo follows the standard YRF Spy Universe template, a brief action appearance that adds franchise signaling but no meaningful narrative contribution. The film would be functionally identical without it.

Q. How is the Alpha movie review?

Ans. In my opinion, Alpha is a mixed bag. From my experience, Alia Bhatt’s committed performance and the Alia versus Sharvari fight sequence are genuine positives, while identifying the action choreography as severely below average for a 2026 theatrical release, the franchise checklist compliance as creatively limiting, and the Hrithik Roshan cameo as structurally pointless. Most reviews rate it as a passable but disappointing action film. Our rating: 2 out of 5.

Q. Is Alpha worth watching?

Ans. For YRF Spy Universe fans who have followed the franchise through Pathaan, Tiger 3, and War 2, Alpha is the most watchable recent entry, with a better emotional foundation and one standout action sequence. For general audiences expecting a strong action film, the action choreography is below average, and the film will likely disappoint. For Alia Bhatt fans: her performance is the film’s best consistent element.

Q. Who is the main lead in Alpha 2026?

Ans. Alia Bhatt is the main lead in Alpha, playing Sita, the super soldier created through the Alpha Program. Sharvari plays a significant supporting role. Bobby Deol is the main villain. Anil Kapoor plays a key supporting role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo.

Q. What is the story of Alpha 2026?

Ans. Alpha is the story of Sita (Alia Bhatt), a super soldier trained since childhood by Bobby Deol’s clandestine Alpha Program, India’s attempt to create a next-generation operative. When the program is shut down by the Indian government and Bobby Deol continues it covertly in ways that damage national interests, Sita turns against the man who raised her. The film is the seventh entry in the YRF Spy Universe, following Pathaan, Tiger 3, and War 2.

Q. Is there a post-credit scene in Alpha?

Ans. Alpha is expected to include a franchise-continuation scene consistent with the YRF Spy Universe’s established pattern. Confirm with your local theatre or check post-screening reports for specific details about what the mid- or post-credits sequence contains.

Q. Is Alpha the last YRF Spy Universe movie?

Ans. Alpha is the final film in the first officially announced batch of YRF Spy Universe releases (Pathaan, Tiger 3, War 2, Alpha). It is not confirmed to be the last film in the universe overall; YRF has not announced the universe’s conclusion. The future direction of the franchise, including whether it undergoes creative changes following audience feedback about the formula, remains officially unconfirmed.

Alpha is currently in theatres. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video to follow after the theatrical window closes.