Ayan Mukherji’s big superhero mythological fantasy drama was announced 8 years ago but it took years for the big project to finally hit the cinemas.
Creating a trilogy named Astraverse, having a striking resemblance to Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ayan Mukherji has a good name in Hindi cinemas with his works- Wake Up Sid and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani both of which featured Ranbir Kapoor in the main role along with his third, and the biggest venture, being the Brahmastra trilogy.
People already had huge expectations from the film which was palpable from their reactions when a teaser of one of the songs Kesariya was released and their outbursts when the songwriters added “Love Storiyan” to it.
Even before its release, Brahmastra had already become a big name and soon evolved to be probably the most anticipated film of this year, and also the most expensive Hindi film.
Playing alongside Ranbir Kapoor is his newly wedded wife Alia Bhatt, who recently obtained enormous acclaim with her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi.
With the two-star kids playing alongside Amitabh Bachchan, it becomes unnecessary to pay attention to the casting but still, the film opens up with Shah Rukh Khan playing the role of a scientist Mohan Bhargav.
Releasing around the time when Hollywood’s big series like House of Dragon and the Rings of Power are dominating the world of OTT platforms, Brahmastra acts as a testimony that India too is leading with its own fantasies.
Ayan Mukherji has developed one of the finest superhero sagas in a long time and he deserves appreciation for the amount of work he has put to craft the universe.
A big part of MCU too was based not on logic or reasoning but on emotional connections with the characters and the superhero thrill to keep us hooked. This is where Brahmastra somewhat lacks.
A large portion of the film is spent on producing the realm where the movie’s events take place reducing the time to add an emotional aspect to the story and its characters.
The story basically revolves around Shiva who is a DJ in the modern-day who meets Isha and instantly falls in love with her. She too reciprocates his feelings however Shiva soon tells her that he has a special connection with fire as it doesn’t harm him.
Isha, being the perfect romantic interest, decides to stick by his side till the end to spice things up when situations get dangerous and one needs a bit of sacrifice.
Anyway, Shiva sees some disturbing visions which show Junoon, played by Mouni Roy, on her way to obtain pieces of Brahmastra to gain enormous energy and be the badass villain, similar to Thanos from MCU.
The plus points of this movie are definitely the addition of our mythology in the film, the visual effects- VFX was extraordinary, SRK’s cameo, and the concept behind it.
Ayan Mukherji also chose the best real-life couples who have on-screen chemistry as well, which was perceptible with the release of Kesariya.
However, when it comes to dialogue the movie falls short. Dialogues are poorly composed and seemed to be forced in several instances making it harder for the characters to fully develop in their roles.
These minor problems lay the foundation for major moments which make up most of the good portion of the film but get reduced due to the origin.
Nevertheless, bringing a much-needed change in Bollywood, Brahmastra is worth watching and has an engaging plot if you think Indian mythology taking the shape of Avengers’ domain is something that will pique your curiosity. The movie is a perfect family entertainer giving the holiday vibes and is a good choice for you to watch this weekend.
