The teaser of Alpha, the first female-led film in YRF’s Spy Universe, has generated plenty of buzz since its release. Starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, the action-packed glimpse has impressed many viewers with its scale and intensity. But alongside the excitement, a debate has also emerged online, with some fans pointing out similarities between Alpha and the 1990 French cult thriller La Femme Nikita.
From its shadowy visuals to its assassin-training setup, several moments in the teaser have led viewers to wonder whether the upcoming spy thriller has taken inspiration from Luc Besson’s classic.
Why Are Fans Comparing Alpha To La Femme Nikita?
Shortly after the teaser dropped, social media platforms were flooded with side-by-side screenshots and video comparisons. Many users noticed what they felt was a familiar premise: a young woman being recruited, trained, and transformed into a deadly operative under the guidance of a powerful mentor figure.
For some viewers, the similarities were hard to ignore.
One Reddit user wrote, “Do they think people are unaware in 2026?”
Another commented, “Taking inspiration is one thing, but this feels far too close to the original idea.”
The discussion gained further momentum when some fans pointed to a dialogue delivered by Bobby Deol’s character that they claimed echoed a well-known line from American Sniper.
The Scene That Sparked The Debate
The teaser opens on a surprisingly quiet note.
Bobby Deol’s character shares a meal with a young Alia Bhatt, wishing her on her eighteenth birthday before handing her a card with a room number. He calmly informs her that her training period is over and that the real mission is about to begin.
What follows is a rapid montage of combat sequences, gunfights, chase scenes, and covert operations.
The setup strongly suggests that Bobby Deol’s character has spent years shaping Alia’s character into a highly skilled assassin. This mentor-student dynamic has become one of the biggest reasons behind comparisons to La Femme Nikita.
How Similar Is It To La Femme Nikita?
Released in 1990, La Femme Nikita follows a troubled young woman who is secretly recruited by a government agency after being arrested for murder.
Instead of prison, Nikita is placed in a hidden training program where she learns combat, espionage, and survival skills before being deployed on dangerous missions.
Over time, she struggles to balance her life as an assassin with her desire for freedom and normalcy.
Fans believe Alpha appears to share certain foundational elements, particularly the idea of a young woman being molded into a lethal operative by a secret organization.
However, it’s important to note that the teaser reveals only a small portion of the film’s story. Similar setups are common across the spy and action genres, and the full narrative may ultimately take a very different direction.
What Makes Alpha Different?
Despite the comparisons, Alpha remains a significant project for the YRF Spy Universe.
The film marks the franchise’s first story centered around female protagonists, with Alia Bhatt and Sharvari leading the action. While Alia’s character takes center stage in the teaser, details about Sharvari’s role remain tightly guarded.
The film also stars Bobby Deol and appears to explore a darker, more personal origin story compared to previous entries in the spy universe.
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Release Date And YRF Spy Universe Connection
Directed by Shiv Rawail, Alpha has experienced multiple release-date changes before finally locking July 3, 2026, as its theatrical release.
The film joins an expanding YRF Spy Universe that already includes successful titles like War, Pathaan, Tiger 3 and War 2.
For now, the teaser has achieved exactly what it was meant to do: get people talking. Whether the similarities to La Femme Nikita are genuine influences or simply surface-level parallels is something audiences will discover when Alpha finally arrives in theatres.
