Dir. Ayan Mukerji · India · Hindi
Bollywood launches their own response to the MCU, though it’s held back by the writing
When Disney and Marvel drove the industry with its multi-phase superhero film franchise surrounding the collection and use of magical alien MacGuffins, it’s no wonder that some Hindi filmmakers watched it, squinted, and thought that it was small fry compared to the vast collection of stories and reinterpretations of Hindu folklore and epics. But it’s not an easy thing to do. Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva has admirable ambition, but the plot is predictable, the characterization is scant, and the film just throws so much of the mythology at the audience rather than taking its time, letting the magic build up some mystery, and letting the audience get to know the characters before they launch themselves into a spectacular fight scene. It’s not a terrible watch, but Brahmastra is off to a very shaky start.
The story of Shiva – a young man on the brink of an epic love, with a girl named Isha. But their world is turned upside down when Shiva learns that he has a mysterious connection to the Brahmāstra... and a great power within him that he doesn’t understand just yet - the power of Fire.
"An ambitious introduction to a mythological cinematic universe with the expected hiccups of building a massive world from scratch. It's an admirable attempt and unmissable theatrical experience for any Bollywood fan."
— Proma Khosla
"Though the story is occasionally overcomplicated and the spectacle excites and exhausts in equal measure (as even Marvel movies do), it’s a wildly entertaining jump start to a planned trilogy."
— Courtney Howard
After falling in love with London resident Isha Chatterjee at the Durga Puja festival, young orphan Shiva gets his world turned upside down when he discovers he has the power to control fire, which comes from a mysterious connection to an ancient celestial weapon named Brahmāstra, protected by a secret society of sages.
Some certain choices, like casting newlyweds Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt as the leads, starting the film with an epic fight scene with Shah Rukh Khan, and getting Amitabh Bachchan’s epic voice to give gravitas to the lore, seem like they would be appreciated by Bollywood fans who would love to see this franchise succeed globally. Had the story been done well, these choices would have been right, but now, it honestly seems that this was prioritized over the writing and worldbuilding.
Hope Parts Two and Three get better, though!
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
Comments