Alia Bhatt is facing criticism after referring to her upcoming spy thriller, Alpha, as her "first action film.". Social media users were quick to point out that she starred in Jigra, an action thriller released in October 2024, and produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Alia Bhatt, Shaheen Bhatt and Soumen Mishra.

Jigra follows a young woman, Satya, who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue her younger brother, Ankur, from a foreign prison where he has been wrongly incarcerated. The film features intense scenes where Alia's character fights against formidable odds. Action designer Craig Macrae revealed that Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh gave 110 per cent during the rigorous training for Alpha, and were left with bruises and sore bodies.

Some netizens felt that Bhatt's statement disregarded the action sequences and the overall action-oriented nature of Jigra. They argued that her performance in Jigra already showcased her capabilities as an action star, making the "first action film" comment inaccurate and dismissive.

Despite receiving mixed to positive reviews, Jigra underperformed at the box office. Some critics praised Bhatt's performance and Vasan Bala's direction but pointed out the film's lacklustre screenplay and slow pace. Alia Bhatt's Jigra was among the most eagerly awaited films of 2024. While some netizens praised Bhatt's stellar performance as a devoted sister who races against time to rescue her brother, as well as Vasan Bala's direction, others criticized the screenplay and the movie's slow pace.

Alpha, directed by Shiv Rawail, is slated for release at the end of this year and stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh. Aditya Chopra is making revisions to the screenplay and its execution to ensure the film lives up to the studio's expectations and restores faith in the spy universe brand. The film has a dance-off between its two leads, Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, and two different playback singers lending their voices, one for each actress.