Alpha trailer review: Sita sets Lanka ablaze, makers spill full plot. What's left?

The Alpha trailer lays out Alia Bhatt's assassin-origin story and a Hrithik Roshan crossover. It gives the YRF Spy Universe film a clearer identity, even as it leaves little mystery intact.

In Short

• Alpha finally looks like a film with a distinct identity and vision.
• Alia Bhatt anchors a more personal spy story shaped by betrayal
• The trailer builds excitement but reveals far more than it should

The teaser for Alpha left audiences with a simple question: what exactly is this film? The trailer answers that question. It answers several others too. The trailer opens with Alia Bhatt's character saying, "Let me tell you a story." By the time the two-minute-and-thirty-four-second trailer ends, one is tempted to politely respond: "Thank you. You told us the whole story."

Let's start with the positive. Alpha finally looks like a film with a clear identity. The teaser generated mixed reactions, largely because of its edit, action, lack of emotional connection and, most importantly, the obvious resemblances to many other international films in this genre. The trailer fixes some of that problem, not all of it.

The trailer gives more clarity to the vision of director Shiv Rawail. The visuals are slick, the action sequences carry scale, and the overall presentation feels considerably more polished than the teaser suggested. More importantly, the film finally feels like it has a visual personality beyond being "the typical YRF Spy Universe movie".

Here's the trailer:

At the heart of the trailer is an interesting premise. An assassin raised under the mysterious programme who now finds herself confronting the very forces that created her. The setup immediately gives Alpha something that many franchise films struggle to find: a personal conflict.

One of the more refreshing aspects of the trailer is what it chooses not to focus on. For years, the Spy Universe has leaned heavily on familiar geopolitical tensions. Here, the conflict appears far more intimate. The story seems built around betrayal, revenge, loyalty and identity rather than another battle between nations. That alone makes Alpha feel distinct from its predecessors.

The mythology angle is equally intriguing. Alia's character is named Sita. Bobby Deol's character is repeatedly framed as a larger-than-life threat. The trailer layers Ramayana imagery onto its spy narrative, attempting something more ambitious than the franchise's usual formula. Whether these references ultimately become meaningful storytelling devices or remain visual decoration remains to be seen.

Performance-wise, Alia Bhatt comfortably anchors the trailer. The assassin-raised-to-kill arc appears far better suited to her than the teaser suggested, though the mannerisms and quirks given to her still raise questions.

Bobby Deol continues his run as one of Hindi cinema's preferred antagonists. There is an understated menace to his performance that works well within the world the film is creating. Anil Kapoor, meanwhile, brings instant gravitas. Even with limited screen time, he manages to create the impression that he knows more than everyone else around him.

Interestingly, Sharvari may be the trailer's most significant omission. While she appears briefly throughout the promo, the team carefully avoids revealing too much about her character. That restraint stands out because the trailer's biggest problem is not what it hides, but what it reveals. In a trailer that lays out almost every major plot beat, Sharvari's role remains one of the few genuine mysteries left intact.

If there is one major criticism that can be levelled at Alpha's trailer, it is that it reveals far too much. The central conflict, the revenge angle, the mentor-versus-student dynamic, the emotional stakes, Bobby Deol's role, Anil Kapoor's connection to the Alpha programme and even a major franchise crossover are all laid out in remarkable detail. One almost gets the sense that the trailer is less interested in teasing the story than reassuring audiences that there is one. That feeling becomes strongest during the Hrithik Roshan reveal.

From a franchise perspective, the decision is understandable. Hrithik remains one of the Spy Universe's biggest attractions, and his appearance instantly connects Alpha to the larger ecosystem. The problem is that surprise appearances have become one of the most valuable currencies in blockbuster filmmaking. Audiences enjoy discovering them in theatres. Revealing such a significant cameo in the trailer feels like an oddly cautious move.

Here's the teaser:

It is difficult not to wonder whether the decision stems from the mixed response to the teaser. The trailer often feels determined to leave audiences with absolutely no doubts about what the film offers. The result is a promo that succeeds in generating curiosity but occasionally sacrifices mystery in the process.

At the end of the trailer, when Alia Bhatt asks, "Will he save us?", the film intends it as a question about Hrithik Roshan's arrival. But given how prominently the cameo is being used in the marketing, one cannot help but wonder if the question is being asked of the film itself.

The film also raises an interesting question about balance. Alpha is being marketed as a story centred on two women, yet almost every major moment in the trailer revolves around Alia Bhatt. Sharvari is clearly important to the narrative, but the marketing leaves little doubt about who occupies the centre of gravity. Whether the final film offers a more balanced dynamic remains one of its more intriguing unknowns.

Ultimately, the trailer succeeds where the teaser failed. For the first time, Alpha looks like more than just another chapter in the Spy Universe. It looks like a film with its own story to tell. The only question now is how much of that story remains untold.

- Ends