The new teaser of ‘Alpha’, starring Alia Bhatt, Bobby Deol and Sharvari, has been creating waves online since its release on Wednesday afternoon. The clip not only gives fans a first look at Alia’s character, but also sets the tone of the story set to unfold on the big screen next month.While the new clip has had fans buzzing it has also ignited a wave of discussion online, with many viewers comparing the upcoming spy thriller to the box office blockbuster ‘Dhurandhar’, starring Ranveer Singh.

Netizens compare ‘Alpha’ to ‘Dhurandhar’

While ‘Alpha’ marks Bhatt’s entry into the YRF Spy Universe, several social media users argued that its theatrical release after ‘Dhurandhar’, has already raised audience expectations for the genre, making it harder for spy films to generate the same level of excitement. “After dhurandhar all these feels like crap,” one fan wrote, while another shared screenshots comparing visuals from both films, featuring Ranveer and Alia in similar scenes – riding motorcycles through mountainous landscapes.

‘Alpha’ dialogues spark criticism

Many seemed taken aback by a dialogue in the teaser, which they claimed, lacked the intensity and intrigue that made ‘Dhurandhar’ resonate with audiences. “Dhurandhar(1&2) has given audiences a taste of blood. Once you have tasted that level of intensity, it’s hard to get excited about a trailer that looks like it was assembled from stale food. Wolf & sheep part is laughable!!” one user commented.Another fan contrasted dialogues from both films, writing, “Dialogues in Dhurandhar: If I have to spend my entire life trailing behind them, wearing the skin of these wolves, then so be it for me. Dialogues in Alpha: The daughter of a wolf is a wolf, sir.”

The ‘Dhurandhar’ effect

Several viewers also praised filmmaker Aditya Dhar for revealing just enough to generate intrigue for the film, without giving away too much. While others broadened the criticism to the larger spy-action genre, questioning whether audiences are beginning to tire of spectacle-driven espionage films.“Dhurandhar has set such high standards that everything else feels below average. The first look had just one dialogue, a full song, and character introductions without revealing the plot. After watching the film, people realised most of those shots were actually from Part 2. That is how teasers should be made,” another post read.“Even after watching Dhurandhar, they still didn’t realise that training and spying isn’t done like this, and went ahead with the same nonsense as in War, Tiger, and Pathaan. The tattoo scene was so ridiculous it felt like they were literally inviting the enemy, like ‘Aa bai, mujhe maar,’” one viewer remarked.“Post Dhurandhar, the action based Spy Universe has become outdated if it doesn’t have gripping story and scale. YRF Spy Universe dont have that even remotely. If they want to continue with this Universe, they will have to make a silent spy movies which is near to Baby kind of movies. This action stuff won’t work.”

Fans defend ‘Alpha’

Not all reactions were entirely dismissive, however. Some fans argued that comparisons between the two projects may be premature given that they are different films with different creative goals. “Comparing Alpha and Dhurandhar isn’t really fair because they’re completely different films. My issue isn’t the comparison itself it’s the apparent lack of effort in the filmmaking and the overall presentation of the project. Let’s be honest, a large section of the audience already believes Alpha is going to be a mid film. When that’s the perception you’re dealing with, your teaser and trailer should work twice as hard to change the narrative. Even if the final film turns out to be average, the marketing should at least create excitement and make people curious,” one fan observed.Others remained open-minded saying, “#Dhurandhar has already set the bar high for any spy movie …need to see how this fares !!!”Another added, “Any Indian spy film releasing after Dhurandhar has a tough act to follow. But this teaser of Alpha doesn’t look like it has even tried. The audience has made it clear that flashy VFX and action sets can’t compensate for a weak content. Yet here we are again.”Directed by Shiv Rawail, ‘Alpha’ marks Alia’s first full-fledged action film and is one of the most awaited projects from YRF’s Spy Universe. The film has witnessed multiple release date changes during production. Initially planned for a 2025 release, the film was later shifted to April before Yash Raj Films announced July 10 as its release date. The makers have now advanced the release by a week, with ‘Alpha’ set to arrive in cinemas worldwide on July 3.