The Astraverse belongs to Indian cinema
Director: Ayan Mukherji
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Mouni Roy
Music: Simon Franglen, Pritam
Brahmastra is an Indian-origin movie that is the first part of the Astraverse Trilogy. The film was announced 8 years back and has made it to the big screens today. The budget of the film is Rs.410 crores. This movie is not only Ayan Mukherji’s vision turning into reality but also gives Hindi cinema its first cinematic Universe.
To bring forward an idea that represents the sacred truths of Indian history, Ayan Mukherji has done everything right within his power except the storyline. The beginning of the film is surprising, truly. It is where the first lot of whistles come in. That is the only unexpected element in the film. We are introduced to the leads of the film, Ranbir as Shiva, Alia as Isha, and also the antagonist, Junoon played by Mouni Roy. The story has a slow pace. It plays with the patience of the audience. The First half of the film is only for making the base of the trilogy. It introduces us to the characters and the astras of the Astraverse. The second half of the film is Shiva and Isha being on a mission to stop Junoon from assembling all the three Astras. There are a number of missing pieces that are left for the other two movies in the Trilogy.
The storyline feels a little off when you see guns being used in a movie of Astras. Ayan Mukherji put a lot of sparks in the movie but forgot to put logic in the details. You know when you get irritated when an ad comes between a YouTube video you are watching, the same you will feel in the film. Why do you want to promote a brand so prominently that you need to include it in dialogue? It is not humorous! It is annoying.
The plot of the film is establishing the base for the trilogy and simultaneously, goes on with the story of Shiva. It does get a little long after some time. The dialogues of the movie are cliche. It lowers the royalty of the graphics. On the contrary, the cinematography is mind-blowing. For a Hindi film to come up with such splendid scenes, screams hard work. Though it gets extreme with the fire throughout the movie. Ayan Mukherji has tried to provide the adrenaline people wanted for so long. Some of the scenes are drop-dead gorgeous. We have to understand the fact that VFX is new to Indian cinema. It has only been a few years since the filmmakers started experimenting with it. Whereas, western cinema has been doing it for decades.
We know the film is big when the stars within it are all one of the best Indian cinema has seen. Amitabh Bachchan at this age earns respect for the amount of energy he gives though he plays a limited role of a Guru. No one could have done better than him. Our favorite known cameo, Nagarjuna Akkineni is fabulous. There is no other word to describe his performance. He has been given very limited screen time. Another cameo is a surprise element and when they talk about Shiva’s past, we get a glimpse of what the next film of the trilogy would be based on.
The leads of the film, Ranbir and Alia, their chemistry is alluring. Especially, Ranbir Kapoor fans are going to feel satisfied after his comeback. Ranbir as Shiva, painted by Ayan is a fine character. He is very enthusiastic but also being Ayan’s Ranbir, he is finding his way like in every other movie. Isha, on the other hand, should have been given more importance than just being Shiva’s lover. The bit where Shiva talks about having Isha’s surname elevates the feminine energy of the film. Other than that, the love story is okay.
Mouni Roy as the lead antagonist, on the other hand, deserves a round of applause for how far she has come. Though, the villain could have been played by any other lead actress. Because of Mouni Roy, the Naagin image always follows her. Her dialogues don’t really surprise the audience. It adds to the list of disappointments.
Even before the film was released, Kesariya won people’s hearts. While in the movie, the story does not do well with the songs. They don’t feel naturally placed but feel a bit cringe. It makes the lengthy movie a bit fun though. The background score at some point is too extreme. It feels coerced. The climax of the movie is sparkling, literally. It is long and feels like the director wanted it to stretch. The running and jumping action scenes don’t feel real. It could have been better. The end credits give a peek in the next part of the film. One cannot watch the movie keeping in mind that Bollywood is failing or that this is an imitation of Marvel. Astral Universe belongs to Indian cinema. And it is a courageous move to bring an image of this level to the screen. It is far better than other Hindi movies this year. It might stop the Bollywood movies’ flop series. But it did fail the expectations it arose within the audience. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva is a 3-star film out of 5.
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