One of the biggest Indian films of the year, or rather, Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva—debuted its first teaser on Wednesday. As the first of a planned trilogy, Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy epic is being hailed as a fantasy epic that has been in the works for so long that its actors, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, have already gone through courtship and married in the interim while the film was being made. Since its announcement in 2014, the project has seen significant delays, both COVID-induced and otherwise. The picture, about a DJ who discovers he has magical talents and is a member of an ancient squad of superpowered creatures, was delayed in part because of the enormous visual effects work necessary.
The trailer is effectively the world’s first peek at what Mukerji and his crew have been working on, as there was little to no information available prior to its release. And wow, is it heavy on the CGI. Amitabh Bachchan, the king of Bollywood voiceovers, introduces the notion with the words “water, wind, fire. Since the dawn of time, we’ve been able to harness the power of Astras, he explains. “Astra” means “weapon” in Hindi. Essentially, “brahmastra” means “the ruler of all weapons,” as explained by Bachchan.
Shiva, played by Kapoor, is a young man whose destiny is intertwined with the “Astras.” His talent to manipulate fire is put on a show for his lover, Isha, who is taken completely by surprise. Shiva informs her, “Isha, something exceptional is happening on this earth.” Ancient Light Weapons are guarded by Warrior groups that have gathered to preserve them. There are a few cool action moments in this video, one of which looks to include a mentor-like guy carrying some sort of blue weapon. Before meeting Mouni Roy’s Scarlet Witch-style principal nemesis, we have a peek at Nagarjuna’s persona.
You’re not the only one who’s thinking about Avatar: The Last Airbender with all of this. Additionally, Entourage viewers could note a striking similarity between Brahmastra and the fictitious Hyde film that the show’s protagonist Vincent Chase directs and appears in. When you consider the rumoured $40 million budget, Brahmastra is a record-breaker in Hindi-language filmmaking. It will also be released in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu. As a reminder, India has a number of regional cinema industries that cater to local audiences. S.S. Rajamouli, the director of the two blockbuster Baahubali films and the latest success RRR, is “presenting” the South Indian language versions of Brahma.
In the Hindi-speaking world, the term “Bollywood” is commonly used to refer to Mumbai’s Hindi language film industry. In spite of the fact that Brahmstra deviates from the norm for India in many respects, it remains deeply steeped in tradition, both in terms of its culture and its content. Audiences in the West who are used to seeing Indian films with plenty of music and dancing and vibrant colours should enjoy what they see. A surge of new films inspired by Hindu mythology is presently sweeping India, thus Brahmastra is an excellent addition to any moviegoer’s list.
As with RRR, it needs to be seen whether or not the cultural background of Brahmstra’s significant reliance on Hindu iconography at a particularly tumultuous period in the country will be studied. On September 9, Star Studios in India and Disney Worldwide will distribute the film. For now, you may see a trailer for the film here, and ponder whether or not the rumours of a Shah Rukh Khan appearance are genuine.