'Brahmāstra: Part 1 - Shiva' Review
November 18th, 2022
Credit: Dharma Productions, Disney
Release Date: September 9th, 2022
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Screenplay: Ayan Mukerji, Hussain Dalal
Releasing Languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada
Where to Watch on OTT: Hulu (USA)
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Shah Rukh Khan, Mouni Roy, Dimple Kapadia
Rating: 4.0
Director Ayan Mukerji first came up with the concept behind Brahmāstra in 2011 when writing the script for his 2013 blockbuster Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. He announced the project in 2014, tentatively titled Dragon. In 2017, the film was officially announced as Brahmāstra by producer Karan Johar. Ayan Mukerji was signed to direct, while Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were set to star. Originally slated for a 2016 release, the film suffered multiple delays due to extensive VFX work and the COVID-19 pandemic. It released theatrically on September 9th, 2022, and is the first installment in a planned trilogy set within a cinematic universe called the Astraverse.
Brahmāstra – Part 1 follows Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), an orphan with pyrokinetic powers, who goes on a mission to stop dark forces from acquiring the Brahmāstra, the most powerful astra (weapon of enormous energy) in the universe. During this journey, he meets and instantly falls for Isha (Alia Bhatt), who reciprocates. Together, they set out to prevent Junoon (Mouni Roy) from laying her hands on the Brahmāstra. The story is truly one of a kind, and Ayan Mukerji & Hussain Dalal’s screenplay Indianizes concepts usually only seen in Marvel movies. While unnecessarily slow in certain parts, the script compensates with scattered action-heavy scenes, and this ensures that the audience never fully tunes out.
Ayan Mukerji beautifully directs the movie, with scenes seamlessly flowing together. The 167-minute film has a clear storyline running through its entirety & doesn’t waste time in hero worship or “item” songs. The two songs, “Kesariya” and “Deva Deva”, run coherently with the story and add to the character development of Shiva and Isha. The dialogues are insightful, but are severely lacking in one-liner punches, which are common to this genre of superhero fantasy. The screenplay includes some comedy, allowing the audience to ease off once in a way. On the flip side, certain scenes that are intended to be comedic end up falling flat. Cinematographer Pankaj Kumar and VFX Supervisor Namit Malhotra (head of Prime Focus) smash it out of the park with the quality of shots, especially those involving VFX astras.
Certain plot points stand out in Brahmāstra – Part 1, both positive and negative. Most prominently, the introductory meeting of Shiva and Isha is rushed. From their very first conversation, Shiva and Isha behave like they’ve known each other for a long time, and this comes off strangely. Luckily, Mukherji sandwiches this interaction with a parallel plot involving Mohan Bharghav (Shah Rukh Khan), Junoon (Mouni Roy) and her disciples. The self-sacrifice of Anish Shetty (Nagarjuna Akkineni) near the intermission is also strange, as his death becomes meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Credit: Dharma Productions, Disney
Ranbir Kapoor does justice to his role as Shiva, a light-hearted and positive young man. He nails his character’s confusion regarding his origins, and his dialogues are spoken with conviction and sincerity. Alia Bhatt is even more effective in her role as Isha, and does a good job of being Shiva’s companion in the journey of discovery. Alia makes the carefree and intellectual attitude of Isha seem like her own, and at some points makes the audience question whether she’s even acting. Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Shah Rukh Khan shine in their roles as usual.
Overall, Brahmāstra – Part 1: Shiva is a well-made movie that deserves to be watched on the big screen. Its high box office numbers attest to the movie’s quality, and I can’t wait for Brahmāstra Part 2: Dev.