The teaser for Alpha, the upcoming spy thriller starring Alia Bhatt, has finally arrived, offering audiences a first look at the first female-led entry in the YRF Spy Universe. But instead of focusing solely on the film’s action sequences and espionage storyline, social media has become fixated on a different question: Is Alpha heavily inspired by the 1990 French classic La Femme Nikita?
The debate erupted almost immediately after the teaser dropped, with viewers pointing to a key scene that they believe bears a striking resemblance to a memorable sequence from La Femme Nikita.
While some fans see the similarities as a tribute to a genre-defining film, others have accused the makers of borrowing too heavily from an established classic.
What sparked the comparisons?
The discussion centers on one of the teaser’s most important moments.
The footage shows Alia Bhatt’s character, Sia, celebrating her 18th birthday at a restaurant with her father, played by Bobby Deol. What initially appears to be a personal family moment quickly transforms into something else when Sia learns she is connected to a secret organization and is assigned her first mission.
The sequence serves as the catalyst for her transformation into a spy.
Many viewers quickly noted that the setup closely resembles a famous scene from La Femme Nikita, directed by Luc Besson.
In the French thriller, a government handler takes Nikita to an upscale restaurant before unexpectedly informing her that she must carry out an assassination mission immediately. The sequence is widely regarded as one of the film’s most memorable moments.
As clips from both productions began circulating online, comparisons spread rapidly across social media platforms.
What is La Femme Nikita about?
Released in 1990, La Femme Nikita follows a troubled young woman who is recruited by a covert government agency after committing a violent crime.
The agency fakes her death and subjects her to intensive training, transforming her into a highly skilled assassin tasked with carrying out secret missions.
The film became a critical and commercial success, eventually achieving cult status and inspiring multiple remakes, adaptations, and television series around the world.
Its influence on the spy and assassin genre remains significant more than three decades later.
Why the comparison matters
The controversy stems from more than a single restaurant scene.
Some viewers argue that the broader premise of Alpha appears to share thematic similarities with La Femme Nikita:
- A young woman recruited into a covert organization
- Intense training and transformation
- Secret assignments
- A coming-of-age journey within the world of espionage
However, critics and film analysts often caution against drawing conclusions from teaser footage alone.
Many spy films share common narrative elements, particularly origin stories involving recruitment, training, and initiation into secret organizations.
Without seeing the full film, it remains difficult to determine whether the similarities are superficial, intentional homage, or evidence of deeper inspiration.
The American Sniper dialogue comparison
The La Femme Nikita debate is not the only controversy surrounding the teaser.
Some social media users have also highlighted a dialogue delivered by Bobby Deol’s character involving a wolf-and-sheep analogy.
Viewers pointed out similarities between the dialogue and themes featured in American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper.
While such comparisons have fueled online discussion, neither the filmmakers nor Yash Raj Films have publicly responded to the allegations.
Fans are also asking: Where is Sharvari?
Beyond the plagiarism debate, another topic dominated online conversations following the teaser release.
Many viewers expressed surprise that Sharvari, who has been announced as one of the film’s lead stars, does not appear in the teaser.
The omission prompted criticism from fans who expected both female leads to be showcased in the first promotional material.
Several social media users questioned whether the marketing campaign was focusing too heavily on Alia Bhatt despite the film being positioned as a major collaboration between the two actors.
While teaser campaigns often withhold characters or plot details to maintain intrigue, Sharvari’s absence became one of the most discussed aspects of the trailer launch.
What we know about Alpha
Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha represents a major milestone for the YRF Spy Universe.
The franchise has previously delivered blockbuster titles including:
- Ek Tha Tiger
- Tiger Zinda Hai
- War
- Pathaan
Alpha is the first installment centered on female protagonists.
The film also stars:
- R. Madhavan
- Anil Kapoor
- Bobby Deol
- Sharvari
The screenplay has been written by Soumil Shukla and Shridhar Raghavan, while producer Aditya Chopra continues to oversee the expanding spy universe.
The film is scheduled to release in theaters on July 10, 2026.
Is Alpha actually copying La Femme Nikita?
At this stage, there is no evidence that Alpha is a direct remake or unauthorized adaptation of La Femme Nikita.
What exists are audience observations based on teaser footage and a handful of scenes that appear visually or structurally similar.
Film history is filled with examples of directors drawing inspiration from earlier works, particularly within genres such as espionage, crime, and action thrillers.
Whether Alpha ultimately feels derivative or distinctive will depend on how the complete story unfolds when audiences see the finished film.
For now, the comparisons have achieved one thing: they have made Alpha one of the most talked-about Bollywood releases of the summer, weeks before its arrival in theaters.
TL;DR
- The teaser for Alpha has sparked comparisons with La Femme Nikita.
- Viewers highlighted similarities between a restaurant recruitment scene in both films.
- Some social media users also compared a dialogue in Alpha to themes from American Sniper.
- Fans have questioned why Sharvari does not appear in the teaser despite being a lead actor.
- There is currently no evidence that Alpha is a direct remake of La Femme Nikita.
- The film releases on July 10, 2026.