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Jigra
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Vasan Bala
Written by	Debashish Irengbam Vasan Bala
Produced by	Karan Johar Apoorva Mehta Alia Bhatt Shaheen Bhatt Soumen Mishra
Starring	Alia Bhatt Vedang Raina
Cinematography	Swapnil S. Sonawane
Edited by	Prerna Saigal
Music by	Songs: R. D. Burman Achint Thakkar Manpreet Singh Background Score: Achint Thakkar
Production companies	Dharma Productions Eternal Sunshine Productions
Distributed by	Viacom18 Studios (North India) Asian Suresh Entertainment (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana)
Release date	11 October 2024 (2024-10-11)
Running time	153 minutes
Country	India
Languages	Hindi Singlish Mandarin Telugu
Budget	est. ₹90 crore
Box office	est. ₹55.05 crore

Jigra (transl. Courage) is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Vasan Bala, who also co-wrote it with Debashish Irengbam. Produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt and Soumen Mishra under Dharma Productions and Eternal Sunshine Productions. It stars Alia Bhatt as a troubled young woman who must rescue her brother (played by Vedang Raina) from a foreign prison, after he is incarcerated for a crime he did not commit.

Principal photography took place in Mumbai and Singapore from October 2023 to February 2024. Jigra was theatrically released worldwide on 11 October 2024, coinciding with Vijayadashami, to mixed reviews from critics and was a box-office flop.

Plot

Satya is a young woman who has faced more than her fair share of struggles. At a young age, she sees her father committing suicide. She prevents her brother Ankur from seeing it. After being orphaned, they are brought under the charge of rich, distant relatives. Satya never forgets that they are under obligation and works as a house staff manager. She knows the family's secrets and does everything she can to protect them. She becomes extremely protective of Ankur, bordering on paranoia. Ankur grows to be a rule-abiding bright engineer. Satya, on the other hand, has no such inhibition, especially regarding her brother. This quiet life takes a dramatic turn when Kabir, the son of the family enters their life. He is a drug addict and is known to have been expelled from many universities. Satya views him with great trepidation but Ankur finds a friend in him and trusts him. Ankur develops computer software and needs a sponsor, which Kabir's father happily provides hoping, that it will change his son's life and his ways. The boys are sent on a business trip to a fictional country Hanshi Dao, in which the laws are very strict. The country is also facing a revolution due to this. Its drug laws show no mercy, and for possession, a person is charged with death by electrocution. Kabir and Ankur are not aware of the laws, and they work and party. At one such party, Kabir buys drugs, unknown to Ankur. On the way, they are arrested for possession. Ankur calls his sister and tells her that he did not possess drugs, but Kabir did. Satya understands from her past dealings with her uncle that he will do anything to get his son out, leaving Ankur in potential danger. A lawyer is appointed who convinces Ankur to save his cousin's life by lying that it was he who possessed the drugs. He conveniently mislays the fact that he will be in jail only for three months, after that, he will be free. What he doesn't say is that after three months, Ankur will be executed for a crime that he did not commit.

Satya is devastated upon learning this. Determined to rescue her brother, she travels to Hanshi Dao, where Ankur is imprisoned, but only after burning her uncle's office. At Hanshi Dao, Satya finds herself entangled in a complex legal and social landscape. The only choice left to her is to break into the prison and rescue her brother. Ankur on the other hand, manages to make an enemy out of the warden because of his attitude to sticking to the rules. He however, makes friends with three other inmates who are wrongly charged, just like him. They have been planning to escape through the sewage channel. Meanwhile, Satya enlists the help of two unlikely allies: Bhatia, a former gangster whose son faces a similar predicament, and Muthu, an ex-policeman who deeply regrets his role in a previous wrongful conviction. Initially, Muthu does not agree with the plan but eventually gives in after a forceful persuasion by Satya. Coincidentally, Ankur has become friends with Bhatia's son Tony and Muthu's wrongfully convicted prisoner Chandan.

The rescue mission is meticulously planned with the help of Muthu, who knows the intricate layout of the prison due to his position as a warden in his pre-retirement days. The plan is to be carried out on a coast festival day when it is believed that the spirits come alive and no crime is committed. Unfortunately, on the same day, unbeknownst to them, the boys too, plan their escape. The boys poison their food to get admitted to the infirmary from where they plan to escape. Satya’s group, on the other hand, tries to get them assigned to kitchen duties. The warden becomes suspicious when he sees that two duties are assigned to the same three people. He intercepts the plans, and the boys are caught trying to escape. This pushes their date of execution ahead of schedule.

Satya gets anxious and decides to tamper with the prison’s power grid, aiming to disable the security system so all prisoners can escape. Muthu does not agree to this and tries to stop Satya. But Satya manages to kill him. Shutting the power grid off however proves useless as the prison's generators remain functional. Satya adopts a bolder approach, resorting to explosives to create chaos within the prison. The desperate plan culminates in a thrilling escape scene where prisoners flood the corridors amid the power outage. While escaping Bhatia gets killed by a bullet.

Satya and the boys flee by boat disguised as Doctors Without Borders but are pursued by prison guards led by the menacing warden, who nearly captures them. Just as it seems all is lost, Malaysian authorities intercept as arranged by Muthu earlier, killing the warden. This finally allows Satya and the boys to return to India.

Back home, Satya and Ankur revisit the house where they last saw their parents, closing a traumatic chapter. In the post-credits scene, Satya, now victorious, confronts her memories and the lengths she was willing to go to protect her brother on a haunting note.

Cast

• Alia Bhatt as Satyabhama "Satya" Anand, the protagonist
  • Aashna Vaishnav as young Satya
• Vedang Raina as Ankur Anand
  • Ayaansh Kireet Solanki as young Ankur
• Manoj Pahwa as Shekhar Bhatia
• Rahul Ravindran as Muthu
• Aditya Nanda as Kabir Mehtani
• Harssh A. Singh as Jaswant
• Ankur Khanna as Rayyan
• Vivek Gomber as OIC Hansraj Landa, the main antagonist
• Srishti Wadhwani as Ratna
• Akashdeep Sabir as Mr. Mehtani
• Sheeba Sabir as Mrs. Mehtani
• Yuvraj Vijjan as Tony
• Dheer Hira as Chandan
• Jason Shah as Matthew
• Jesse Lim as a detective
• Pranav Brara as Mr. Anand, Satya and Ankur's late father (cameo appearance)
• Akansha Ranjan Kapoor as a flight attendant (cameo appearance)
• Sikandar Kher (cameo appearance)
• Radhika Madan (cameo appearance)
• Abhimanyu Dassani (cameo appearance)
• Diljit Dosanjh (special appearance in the song "Chal Kudiye")

Production

Casting

The film was announced in September 2023. Alia Bhatt and Vedang Raina were cast as the leads. In November 2023, Aditya Nanda and Sobhita Dhulipala joined the cast of the film.

According to actor Bijou Thaangjam, he was cast for a role by the film producers but was dropped without notice; which he attributed to racism towards people from northeast India.

Filming

Principal photography commenced by October 2023. The film was mainly shot in Mumbai, Thailand and Singapore before wrapping in February 2024. These locations were chosen to portray the fictional country of Hanshi Dao in the film.

Music

The film's music album, including background scores, is composed by Achint Thakkar with lyrics by Varun Grover. The song "Phoolon Ka Taaro Ka," originally composed by R. D. Burman and sung by Kishore Kumar in the film Haré Rama Haré Krishna (1971), is recreated for the film. It features the original lyrics by Burman and Anand Bakshi, with additional lyrics by Grover, and is sung by Vedang Raina.

The first single titled "Chal Kudiye" was released on 17 September 2024. The second single titled "Tenu Sang Rakhna" was released on 3 October 2024. The third single titled "Jigra Title Track" was released on 7 October 2024.

Release

Theatrical

The film was initially scheduled to release on 27 September 2024, but was later moved to 11 October 2024, to be nearer to Vijayadashami. The release was marred by accusations of plagiarism by actress Divya Khosla Kumar, who stated that Jigra's was an unauthorized adaptation of her film Savi which had released less than five months prior.

Home media

The film began streaming on Netflix from 6 December 2024.

Reception

Critical response

Jigra received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10.

Terming the film "dull", Tushar Joshi of India Today rated with 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Jigra could have been a much better film if the story wasn’t so linear." Eshita Bhargava of Financial Express rated 2.5/5 stars and wrote "‘Jigra’ failed to ignite the fervour it promised, primarily due to its stumbling script." Dhaval Roy of The Times of India gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "its chaotic narrative and focus on style over substance hinder its overall impact. A more streamlined narrative and stronger premise would have elevated this film greatly."

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated with 2/5 stars and wrote "Jigra becomes a stretch, of both patience and credulity." The Statesman rated the film 2 stars, noting that it struggles to break away from its conventional path. Alia Bhatt’s character is solely motivated by her desire to save her brother, which leads to a predictable storyline that feels stretched and ultimately dull. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 3/5 and wrote "It goes without saying that Alia Bhatt does full justice to Jigra. The question is: does Jigra do justice to the quiet, measured flair that she brings to the role? Just about. And that, by all reckoning, is no mean feat. "

Filmfare gave 4/5 and wrote "With its strong performances and intricate storytelling, Jigra promises to keep audiences on the edge of their seats while delving into the powerful connections between family, justice, and the fight against oppression. Watch it for its realistic action scenes, its strong emotional core and for Vedang and Alia’s on point performances." News18 gave 4.5/5 and wrote "Despite being a narrative high on drama, Jigra never once felt theatrical. And the credit for the same goes to both the director and his actors. Jigra is audacious, trailblazing, sugar, spice, and everything nice and is a must-watch. Don’t miss this one."

Box office

Jigra grossed ₹4.25 crore on its opening day. In its two weeks, the film grossed over 50 crores worldwide.

References

1. "Jigra (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
2. Wadhwa, Aman. "Jigra box office collection day 7: Alia Bhatt, Karan Johar film fails to earn even Rs 25 crore in first week". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
3. "Jigra Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
4. "Alia Bhatt's 'Jigra,' directed by Vasan Bala, gets a new release date". The Hindu. 13 June 2024.
5. "Vasan Bala Says Karan Johar Has His Back Amid Jigra Controversies: 'Ye Sab Jo Jaawe, No Matter". News18.
6. ^ ‘Jigra’ review: The great escape. livemint.com
7. "Vasan Bala says Jigra's box office performance was his responsibility: 'Alia Bhatt trusted me with that choice'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
8. "'Jigra' director Vasan Bala holds himself responsible for the film's failure at the box office; Read here". Times of India. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
9. "Rahul Ravindran onboards the cast of Alia Bhatt, Vasan Bala's Jigra". Cinema Express. 26 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
10. "Alia Bhatt announces her next film Jigra, to co-produce the action movie with Karan Johar". The Indian Express. 26 September 2023.
11. "EXCLUSIVE: Vedang Raina joins Alia Bhatt in Vasan Bala's next; Filming begins in September". PINKVILLA. 26 July 2023.
12. "Aditya Nanda is shooting for Alia Bhatt-starrer 'Jigra'". dtnext.in. 3 November 2023.
13. Sharma, Bhavana (27 November 2023). "Sobhita Dhulipala comes on board for Alia Bhatt's next". Deccan Chronicle.
14. "Bijou ThaangJam accuses team Jigra of discrimination against actors from Northeast India: 'Deeply unprofessional'". The Indian Express. 14 October 2024.
15. "Alia Bhatt commences shoot for Vasan Bala's 'Jigra'". The Hindu. 5 October 2023.
16. "Alia Bhatt Teases Look from Upcoming Film 'Jigra'". The Statesman. 15 November 2023.
17. MOVIES, REDIFF. "Alia, Vedang Wrap Up Jigra In Singapore". Rediff.
18. "Alia Bhatt wraps up Vasan Bala's Jigra, drops pics with on-screen brother Vedang Raina". Hindustan Times. 22 February 2024.
19. Devansh Sharma (8 September 2024). "Jigra teaser: Alia Bhatt vows to become Amitabh Bachchan to protect her brother Vedang Raina. Watch". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
20. "Chal Kudiye: Diljit Dosanjh, Alia Bhatt reunite for inspiring Jigra song". India Today. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
21. "Jigra song Tenu Sang Rakhna: Arijit Singh, Anumita Nadesan and Achint Thakkar deliver a soulful track". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
22. "Alia Bhatt's next with Vasan Bala titled 'Jigra', release date announced". The Hindu. 26 September 2023.
23. Nyayapati, Neeshita (13 June 2024). "Alia Bhatt's Jigra and Jr NTR, Janhvi Kapoor's Devara: Part 1 swap release dates". Hindustan Times.
24. "Divya Khossla accuses Alia Bhatt of rigging Jigra box office". India Today. 12 October 2024.
25. Sharma, Suksham (6 September 2024). "Jigra OTT release: Where to watch Alia Bhatt's upcoming film after its theatrical run". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
26. "Jigra". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
27. Joshi, Tushar. "Jigra review: Alia Bhatt's sparkle can't save this dull film , Rotten Tomatoes 67% on 12 Reviews". India Today. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
28. Bhargava, Eshita. "Jigra Movie Review: A lackluster performance by Alia Bhatt fails to salvage a mediocre plot". The Financial Express. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
29. Roy, Dhaval. "Jigra Movie Review : Alia delivers a solid performance, but the thriller falls short of its potential". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
30. Gupta, Shubhra. "Jigra movie review: Alia Bhatt film is a stretch of both patience and credulity". The Indian Express. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
31. "Jigra review: Love, loyalty, misfire". The Statesman. 13 October 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
32. "Jigra Review: Alia Bhatt Does Full Justice To The Film". ndtv.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
33. Jigra Movie Review. Filmfare.
34. "Jigra Review: Alia Bhatt Deserves Loudest Cheers, Vedang Raina Stands Out in This Extraordinary Film". News18. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
35. "Jigra Box Office Day 1". TOI. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
36. "Jigra Box Office Day 1". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 21 October 2024.

External links

• Jigra at IMDb
• Jigra at Bollywood Hungama

• Film
• India
• Bollywood

• 2024 films
• 2020s Hindi-language films
• 2024 controversies
• Fictional siblings
• Films about dysfunctional families
• Films about miscarriage of justice
• Films about orphans
• Films about prison escapes
• Films about siblings
• Films about the illegal drug trade
• Films about torture
• Films involved in plagiarism controversies
• Films set in East Asia
• Films set in Japan
• Films set in Mumbai
• Films set in Singapore
• Films set in Southeast Asia
• Films set in fictional countries
• Films shot in Mumbai
• Films shot in Singapore
• Films shot in Thailand
• Hindi-language action films
• Hindi-language action thriller films
• Indian action drama films
• Indian action thriller films
• Indian crime drama films
• Indian crime thriller films
• Japan in non-Japanese culture
• Viacom18 Studios films
• Indian chase films
• Films about capital punishment
• Indian police films
• Indian gangster films