Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe has built its reputation around high-stakes missions and formidable spies. With Alpha, the franchise takes a new direction, placing two women at the centre of its action narrative. Alia Bhatt plays Sita, while Sharvari essays Durga, two sisters whose first confrontation becomes one of the film’s key sequences. As the film moves from theatres to television, the actors speak about the work that went into bringing this face-off to the screen.
Directed by Shiv Rawail and produced by Aditya Chopra, Alpha also stars Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol in pivotal roles. The first female-led film in the YRF Spy Universe, it brings Alia and Sharvari together in physically demanding action roles. Audiences can now catch the film during its World Television Premiere on Sony MAX on October 31 at 8 PM.
The Sita-Durga confrontation was designed as a closely choreographed sequence, with the camera capturing the action at close range. “The Sita intro sequence was shot right at the beginning of the film and it was my first day of shooting. Before that we had a month-long preparation only for that sequence and choreography. My training for Alpha was quite intense. I had to prepare both physically and mentally. I had to ease into the action physically and also enjoy it emotionally so that it looked smooth. We also prepped a lot for the action sequence between Sita and Durga,” Alia recalls.
The action choreography also incorporated the bō staff, a traditional Japanese martial arts weapon comprising a long wooden pole. Sharvari took to the technique during her training and recalls how it eventually became part of the sequence.
“The most important point of the film was the Sita versus Durga action sequence. It was the first time the two sisters came face-to-face with each other. My favourite and one of the most important moments for me, was the Sita-versus-Durga action sequence. Both Alia and I trained extensively for it. Our coach, Jessen came all the way from Los Angeles specifically to teach us action, and we trained three hours every day, non-stop for almost one-and-a-half months. I learnt bō staff and I remember our action director later incorporated it into this sequence,” Sharvari recounts.
Alpha premieres on television on October 31 at 8 pm on Sony MAX.
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