Arguably the biggest Indian film of the year, Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva is the first film set in the Astraverse, which not only plans to set up two main sequels, but an extended cinematic universe of endless spinoffs and TV series. It’s unclear if the franchise will go beyond Part Two: Dev, and its yet-to-be-titled third part, but with its first installment, writer/director Ayan Mukerji crafts a staggering, one-of-a-kind, romantic epic that needs to be experienced with a rapturous crowd on the most giant screen imaginable.
It didn’t take long for my audience to applaud. Two minutes in, everyone went crazy at the sight of Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan, who appears as Mohan Baghrav. He is a famed scientist who is part of the Brahmānsh, a secret society of superhuman-like individuals who wield different astras, which are defined as specific powers that one can hold. Baghrav wields the Vanar Āstra, but is quickly toppled by the evil queen Junoon (Mouni Roy), who is possessed by the spirit of Dev, and looking to assemble a supernatural weapon (essentially the movie’s MacGuffin) with the power to destroy the world as we know it – the Brahmāstra.
This sets the movie’s events in motion, awakening visions inside our protagonist, Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), who sees Baghrav fighting off the assassins to no avail. He wants no part in the visions he sees. His heart is set on Isha (Alia Bhatt), whom he immediately falls in love with at first sight, while deejaying the greatest musical number of all time. However, Shiva can no longer control the frequency of his visions, which, according to Guru (Amitabh Bachchan), who leads the Brahmānsh, are awakening “something” inside of him. What is that “something”? You’re going to have to see for yourself.
As silly as the plot sounds, especially with how cartoonish the film’s final act is, it didn’t take long for me to get wrapped up in Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva, especially with how Mukerji and his five (!!!) cinematographers throw (literally, it’s in 3D) everything in your face in the most hyperkinetic fashion possible. I honestly do not think I would’ve enjoyed the movie as much were it not for the IMAX 3D experience. Everyone is saying that Avatar: The Way of the Water will reinvigorate the 3D market (and God knows that the movie looks amazing when the trailer is seen that way), but Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva is the only movie since Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity which has shown how exciting of a medium 3D can be when used correctly.
Lots of objects and characters fly off the screen, and there’s an actual depth of perception in every shot as if the audience could feel like they’re an integral part of the universe. The 3D forces you to pay attention to every shot, gluing you for 167 minutes of pure maximalist entertainment. A car chase scene near the movie’s intermission is a particular highlight and a brilliant showcase for the film’s breakneck pace and aesthetic. You don’t even have time to breathe; Mukerji flies his characters off the screen and thwarts Kapoor and Bhatt inside of a car with a superpowered assassin who never seems to die. It’s amazingly over-the-top and very hard to describe. Think if Neveldine/Taylor and Paul W.S. Anderson made an action scene together. It’s like that Benoit Blanc quote, “It makes no damn sense…it compels me though.” That’s how it felt, but no words will ever do it justice. It needs to be seen to be believed.
Brahmāstra not only dazzles in its action set pieces and three-dimensional visual style, but crafts an amazingly romantic story with Kapoor and Bhatt. It’s no surprise that the two actually fell in love while making the movie (and are now expecting their first child), because they have indelible chemistry throughout. Their on-screen relationship moved me to tears multiple times. There’s real energy between the two that Mukerji exploits with slow-motion and the love anthem “Kesariya” that makes it stand out amongst the sea of clichéd adventure film relationships. Bhatt has plenty of time to shine during the movie, flexing a broad range of emotional strokes through her chemistry with Kapoor.
It’s particularly moving to watch when Shiva imagines Isha as they are apart, and the movie desperately tries to tug on the heartstrings as he sings his heart out. It works, and Kapoor pours so much emotion into his performance as Shiva in the most effortless way. It helps that he is surrounded by veterans Amitabh Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia, and Shah Rukh Khan, who are all terrific additions to the film. Only Mouni Roy seems to belong in a completely different movie, with her character’s villainous mannerisms seemingly plucked out from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. It does fit, though, when its climax becomes a full-fledged Marvel movie, setting up the Avengers of the Astraverse (hey, they even acknowledge it in the movie), as everyone teams up to fight off Junoon in an unimpressive CGI-laden fight scene.
Even the movie’s silliest moments, which occur near its end, are saved by the moving performances of Bachchan, Bhatt, and Kapoor, who bring so much emotional impact to every ounce of the green screen-littered frame.
Watching Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva in a cinema is an experience I won’t soon forget: its lavish cinematography, engulfing sound design, and impeccable 3D made for a brisk moviegoing trip, even if the runtime seemed daunting at first. But the movie flies by once you focus on its dazzling visual effects and action sequences that seem too good to be true, though it depends on how much you like maximalism. The film’s initial reception seems mixed, but I was transfixed by its visual romanticism and magnifying performances from beginning to end. I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t moved by this movie, even with sparse moments of total silliness. And even if the Astraverse ends here, I wouldn’t be mad. This installment was satisfying enough on its own. One question remains: How on earth will James Cameron top Brahmāstra’s 3D with The Way of the Water? Good luck with that.
