The first part of Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra trilogy comes as a ray of hope for Hindi cinema through the dark clouds of its recent box-office failures. Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva has Ranbir Kapoor playing Shiva, a DJ who has powers which he doesn’t know the origins of. He is neither afraid of fire, nor does fire harm him. Isha (Alia Bhatt), a rich girl Shiva acquaints quite a few times during Durga Puja, is enchanted by him. Shiva falls in love with Isha at first sight. She is the light that guides him. Ranbir and Alia, the real-life couple, complement and feed off each other’s energies well on screen. Although films like these are watched more for their visual spectacles than the performances of actors.
In that regard, the VFX work in this film is top notch. There’s originality and innovation. That speaks volumes of the potential of the director and the VFX team. After all, many foreign films come to India for their VFX work. It was high time that we told stories that are innovative and could use the technology to enhance the experience. There have been attempts to be fair. They had the scale but lacked vision.
Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva introduces us to the universe of Astras (weapons) – Astraverse. It begins with a superbly-done action sequence with a cameo by a superstar. Won’t give spoilers. Mukerji’s world building is impressive and all the action set pieces offer thrills as they unfold. Nagarjuna Akkineni, who carries the Nandi Astra with him, has a remarkably built and executed action sequence when he fights with Junoon (Mouni Roy) and her deputies. Junoon represents the darkness that Shiva has to fight, having Isha as the light guiding him. Mouni Roy fits the bill of the nemesis perfectly.
Well, I’m refraining from writing much about the progression of the story because at every interval there’s some revelation that is best left to be experienced. As a movie buff, I would hate it if somebody gave me spoilers.
Since this is a mainstream movie, it cannot do away with song and dance. Two out of three main songs – Kesariya and Deva Deva — are groovy and stay with you. The one at the beginning where Ranbir dances with the crowd seems forced. What disappointed me in Brahmastra was its dialogue writing by an otherwise dependent Hussain Dalal, who wrote some gem of lines in Mukerji’s last release, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013). Dialogues could have enhanced the overall experience.
Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva works despite some of its flaws in the second half. Since this is the first of the three-part Astraverse, a lot of time is spent in explaining the universe, Brahmansh. That can feel like a stretch to some, but the film needs to be watched for a homegrown cinematic universe experience. Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva may not be perfect but is definitely a promising step forward in terms of ambition and quality.
