'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' Review: Stunning VFX, brilliant cast, but weak storyline
It would be wrong to compare the film with MCU movies. Rather, give credit to the young filmmaker who has been able to deliver a film that has given a shot in the arm of Indian cinema. 'Brahmastra' is a film that may leave you impressed with the visuals, but its weak storyline is a letdown of sorts.
FollowDirector: Ayan Mukerji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dimple Kapadia, Shah Rukh Khan (cameo)
Rating: 3 stars
For long, Indians had yearned for its filmmakers to come up with a film that runs high on visual effects, thanks to the benchmark set by the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and its films that most of us are obsessed about. There was always a debate about whether India could match the West when it comes to going big on visual effects. Films like the 'Baahubali' franchise and 'RRR' did bring a fresh visual effect treat with them. However, the thirst for India's own fantasy universe seemed like a far-fetched dream. That dream has finally come true.
With the release of Ayan Mukerji's directorial, 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva', India is finally looking at its first metaverse -- the 'Astraverse'.
The Brahmastra trilogy is Ayan Mukerji's dream project -- something that had seeped into his mind for a decade. And now that the film's first part has hit the screens, it brings a breath of fresh air as well as the technical finesse.
It would be wrong to compare the film with MCU movies. Rather, give credit to the young filmmaker who has been able to deliver a film that has given a shot in the arm of Indian cinema. 'Brahmastra' is a film that may leave you impressed with the visuals, but its weak storyline is a letdown of sorts.
Ayan Mukerji's bold attempt at making an Indian fantasy adventure film, Brahmastra does come with a mundane love story that leads into a world of mythology, fantasy, and adventure. It is a film that has some elements in place albeit with a lot of loose ends.
ALSO READ: Did you know Bramastra’s VFX is done by the same Indian firm that worked on Oscar-winning Dune?
The story begins with an introduction to the Indian ancient 'Astras', each one of which comes with a special power. The most powerful among them is the 'Brahmastra'. All the Astras (or the weapons) have derived their power from elements such as fire, water, wind, earth and also some animals such as bull (Nandiastra) and monkey (Vanarastra). All these Astras have been disguised as normal objects such as a bracelet or a knife and are guarded by sages dubbed as 'Brahmansh'. They have been around for centuries, but in modern times, they have mostly been forgotten which makes it easy for them to lead a parallel life and guard the 'Astras' against the dark forces.
The first half of the film may seem like a bit of a drag with some romance and songs taking up most of the time. Ranbir Kapoor is seen as DJ Shiva, coming from a humble background, who is trying to find a connection between his life and the visions that he has. Along the way, Isha (Alia Bhatt) joins him in his journey.
ALSO READ: Brahmastra will be hit or flop? Here’s what the box office prediction say
What worked in the first half of the film was not Shiva and Isha's love story but the extended cameo of superstar Shah Rukh Khan, the intriguing performance of Mouni Roy and of course, the strong presence of Nagarjuna Akkineni. The film picks up remarkably post-interval. Ayan Mukerji presents you with some of the finest visuals, a fantastic climax that has been well shot with stunning camera angles and visuals, and some thrilling scenes.
The soul of the second half lies in the visual effects. But it is Amitabh Bachchan who scores highly. Of course, the storyline is predictable, but one has to give it to Big B and also Ranbir, who pulled it off so well.
ALSO READ: Karan Johar reveals the kind of ‘Astras’ used in Brahmastra
In all, there were three strong elements that worked in the film -- the visual effects (it is by far the finest VFX seen in an Indian film), the background score and of course, the stellar performance by the entire cast. But what did not work is the predictable storyline, the loose ends, and the paced-up romance between Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt.
Another thing that may leave the audience disappointed would be the time duration of Nagarjuna's character. Lastly, if you are someone who does not go by the social media trends (read: boycott calls), do watch this film for how Ayan Mukerji, along with Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus (the company that did VFX for the Oscar-winning film 'Dune'), have done a stellar job with the visuals and delivering Indian's first 'Astraverse'.
