There was a time when a new film from the YRF Spy Universe felt like an event. Salman Khan’s Tiger movies brought a refreshing mix of espionage and romance. Hrithik Roshan’s War delivered stylish action. Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan embraced its over-the-top madness with such confidence that audiences happily went along for the ride.
But somewhere along the way, the franchise stopped evolving. Every film became louder, bigger and more expensive, while the stories grew thinner. After War 2, there were already signs that the universe was running on borrowed time. Alpha confirms those fears. More than just another disappointing entry, it feels like proof that the YRF Spy Universe has simply run out of ideas.
That is a shame because Alpha had everything going for it on paper. A female-led spy thriller could have opened up an entirely new direction for the franchise. Instead, it delivers the same old formula wrapped in a different package.
The biggest problem isn't Alia Bhatt or Sharvari. Both the actresses clearly put in the effort. They commit to the demanding action scenes and do everything they can with material that rarely gives them a chance to shine. The problem is the screenplay, which never trusts its own characters enough to build something original.
Instead, Alpha constantly reminds you of other, better films. From Black Widow to La Femme Nikita, the influences are impossible to miss. Borrowing ideas isn't unusual in commercial cinema, but here the film rarely feels like it has an identity of its own. It feels assembled from familiar pieces rather than built around a fresh vision.
That's become the defining issue with the YRF Spy Universe itself.
Every film now follows the same template. There is another rogue operative, another patriotic speech, another secret mission, another traitor lurking within the system, another emotional backstory and, of course, another superstar cameo designed to bring applause before the plot moves on. What once felt exciting now feels predictable.
The crossover moments are a perfect example. Early on, the idea of seeing Tiger, Pathaan and Kabir share the same universe was genuinely thrilling. Today, those appearances seem less like storytelling and more like milking a cash cow.
Alpha exposes this weakness more than any previous film. Despite being promoted as the franchise's first female-led story, its two protagonists are still surrounded by men who define their journey. Fathers shape their emotional conflicts. Senior officers dictate their decisions. Even Kabir eventually steps in to help steer the narrative.
The action, once the franchise's greatest strength, no longer has the same impact either. The earlier films relied on memorable stunt work and clean choreography that made even the most exaggerated sequences exciting to watch. In Alpha, too many fights disappear behind rapid editing and restless camerawork.
The emotional arcs suffer from the same problem. Every character seems burdened with familiar trauma. The villains deliver speeches instead of menace. The heroes spend more time talking about sacrifice than making us feel it.
After several films, the formula has become impossible to ignore.
Perhaps the biggest issue is that the franchise no longer understands what kind of world it wants to exist in. Pathaan embraced its outrageous action with a wink, asking audiences to simply enjoy the spectacle. Alpha, however, takes itself completely seriously while asking viewers to believe in super-soldier experiments, impossible action physics and increasingly implausible twists.
Looking back at Ek Tha Tiger, the contrast couldn't be sharper. That film felt rooted in human relationships. The romance mattered. The locations felt authentic. The action served the story rather than overwhelming it. As the universe expanded, those qualities slowly disappeared.
