Karan Johar praised Alia Bhatt's stardom and urged audiences to watch Alpha despite mixed reviews. The female-led spy thriller opened strongly at the global box office, earning over ₹17 crore on its first day

New Delhi: Filmmaker Karan Johar lauded Alia Bhatt-starrer “Alpha” and the actor’s “stardom, theatrical pull and unquestionable talent” as he urged the audience to watch the film.

Johar shared a note on his Instagram story on Saturday and praised Bhatt’s stardom. His comments come after the mixed reviews of the actor’s latest film “Alpha”. Released on Friday, the film is directed by Shiv Rawail and is described as the first female-led film in the studio’s interconnected Spy Universe.

It has collected over Rs 17 crore on the opening day at the global box office. “When footfalls are a challenge, ‘Alpha’ takes a solid start…It emphasises many things… the audience is way above online negativity, and they are the true warriors,” he wrote.

“The stardom, theatrical pull and unquestionable talent of Alia Bhatt, along with the impact of a big-screen spectacle, is undebatable. YRF has continued to build franchises and create theatrical tentpole experiences that deserve our applause, not toxicity. So please relax and celebrate that cinemas are breathing. Go watch ‘Alpha’ and stop doom-scrolling,” he added.

Also featuring Sharvari, the film follows two elite agents, played by Bhatt and Sharvari, who embark on a high-stakes mission to take on a dangerous adversary portrayed by Bobby Deol.

The cast also includes Anil Kapoor in a pivotal role, while Hrithik Roshan reprises his role as super-spy Kabir Dhaliwal in a special appearance.

“Alpha” is the latest addition to Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe, which includes “Ek Tha Tiger”, “Tiger Zinda Hai”, “War”, “Pathaan”, “Tiger 3” and “War 2”.

The film was released in theatres across the country on Friday in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.