The latest movie from the YRF Spy Universe, Alpha, is arriving in theatres on July 3, 2026. The film features Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in lead roles, with Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor in important parts. Even though it is part of one of the biggest action franchises in India, early box office predictions indicate a slow start. Trade analysts are estimating that Alpha may struggle to even match the opening day collections of Alia Bhatt’s previous film, Jigra.
Slow Advance Bookings and Low Ticket Sales Cause Concern
Alpha opened its advance booking on July 1, less than two days before its release. Reports show that by Thursday morning, the film had sold only around 12,000 tickets across the country, which is quite low for a movie of this size. On BookMyShow, the largest ticketing platform, Alpha was selling just about 1,300 tickets per hour at one point.
The advance booking numbers so far are around Rs 1.75 crore. Some reports mention that the film’s Day 1 advance collection is under Rs 50 lakh, which comes to a total of Rs 1.58 crore when blocked seats are added. While some sources say the early sales are positive for a female-led action film, the overall number is still considered low for a franchise like the YRF Spy Universe.
Trade Experts Predict Opening Between Rs 4.50 Crore and Rs 7.50 Crore
Based on the slow start to bookings, trade experts have lowered their expectations for Alpha. Early predictions now suggest a Day 1 net collection in the range of Rs 4.50 crore to Rs 7.50 crore. Some analysts believe the number could be even lower, with the film potentially opening at just Rs 4.50 crore.
Such a number would mean Alpha opens lower than Alia Bhatt’s last solo action film, Jigra, which earned Rs 4.55 crore on its first day. It would also be less than her 2018 spy thriller Raazi, which started with over Rs 7 crore. Trade expert Atul Mohan expects an opening in the Rs 7-8 crore range, while Girish Johar and Ramesh Bala see it around Rs 5 crore.
“Alia’s last solo release, Jigra, which was an action film, did not do well at the box office. While Alpha belongs to the much bigger YRF Spy Universe, the underperformance of Jigra may have had some impact on audience confidence regarding her as a solo action lead.”
The Dhurandhar Effect and Lack of Superstar Pull
One of the biggest challenges for Alpha is the changing landscape of spy films in Bollywood. The recent success of Dhurandhar has set a new standard for audiences. That film was praised for its grounded and realistic story based on real events, connecting with viewers emotionally. In comparison, Alpha is being called a “conventional film with an obvious plotline.”
Trade expert Girish Wankhede said the film suffers from a lack of “superstardom, novelty and realism.” He added that while Alpha has a big banner and good production quality, audiences may not be impressed because there is nothing new in it. The fact that the YRF Spy Universe’s last two films, Tiger 3 and War 2, also underperformed has hurt the franchise’s momentum.
“Dhurandhar has given a reality check. It has been such a great spy film that everything will be compared with it. It has set the benchmark to a different level now. Alpha is a conventional film with an obvious plotline.”
Controversial Promotions and Online Criticism
The promotional strategy for Alpha has also faced some criticism. A trade expert described the decision to promote the film on a show like India’s Got Latent as a “cheap tactic” that goes against the grace usually associated with Yash Raj Films. Others have pointed out that the film’s stars seemed unsure during the promotion. Additionally, Alpha has faced trolling and negative talk online for allegedly copying scenes and posters from other films.
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The filmmakers have confirmed that Hrithik Roshan will make a cameo appearance as Agent Kabir in Alpha. However, unlike past spy films where such crossovers were kept as a surprise, this was revealed in the trailer itself. Some think this was done to create more buzz for the film.
Alpha received a U/A 16+ certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification. Its final runtime is 140 minutes and 48 seconds.
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