There is no mistaking where Kareena stands. She has put in a good word for the movie, applauding the way it puts the ladies in control. It is a welcome note in the middle of some mixed chatter; between the star power and what the audience is after, it seems to be putting the naysayers to rest.
Kareena’s shoutout rings loud
On 4th July, Kareena made her feelings known on Instagram Stories. After a screening of Alpha, she put up the poster and was blunt about it: “Killing it @aliaabhatt @sharvari Love seeing women front and centre in action film. Here’s to girl power.”
She made sure to tag Yash Raj Films as well as Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor, a nod to the cast’s appeal. As of now, neither Alia nor Sharvari have made a public show of replying.
Box office pulse and star backing
Then you have Karan Johar, who put some figures to it. He was quick to point out the Rs 17.42 crore the film raked in on its first day and to let people know not to pay attention to the noise online. “When footfalls are a challenge ALPHA takes a solid start!” he said.
Domestically, the numbers tell a story of their own with more than Rs 9 crore on Day 1. Word on the street is that there was a good turnout in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and YRF will have the final count once they have all the show times in order.
Some of the key things to keep an eye on this weekend:
– The push from celebrity fans
– How the performances are holding up in the face of some reviews
– A new chapter in the Spy Universe with a woman at the helm
What industry voices are saying
Johar also made a case for the YRF brand, touting the scale of the big screen and Alia’s draw. He sees no room for toxicity when it comes to the franchise. It is part of a larger undercurrent of goodwill for the film, review or not.
Inside the film: stakes and spectacle
The story is driven by Sita (Alia Bhatt), an assassin of the highest order. Colonel Fateh has put her through the ringer in his secret Alpha program to make super-soldiers out of them. But when she finds out how she was made into a tool, she has had enough.
That puts her on a collision course with the past. Sita goes back to her father, RAW head Vikrant Kaul, and joins forces with Durga, the twin she has been apart from (Sharvari), to put an end to Operation Odyssey. And if you stick around for the end, you will see Hrithik Roshan as Major Kabir in a cameo that links it all to the YRF world.
Why viewers are talking
You can have your fair share of negative reviews, but two things stand out: the fact that the women are the ones making the moves, and the work put in by Alia and Sharvari. That is the line Kareena has been drawing, and the crowd is with her on it.
The teaser was well-received by everyone from Shah Rukh and Amitabh to Salman and Priyanka, and even Prabhas had a few good words. Kareena was one of the first to get on board then, and she is re-emphasising it now that the film is out.
It is not so much about the usual franchise arithmetic with Alpha. With over Rs 17.42 crore worldwide and Rs 9 crore at home on the opening day, the only thing left to see is how it holds up over the weekend and in the weeks to follow.
Put simply, if the early signs are any indication, Alpha may yet make a case for the kind of action we are used to, but with a different face. Kareena’s point is well made: Here is to girl power, and the rest is up to the one in the seat.
