Imagine a fantasy epic that combines Hindu religious themes with MCU-styled blockbuster action and extravagant Bollywood musical numbers. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva puts all of those ingredients in a blender, adds lighter fuel, and then sets it on fire. The spectacle overwhelms your senses with a relentless aural and visual assault. The film never stops to breathe over a tiresome two-hour and forty-minute runtime. I can appreciate the vibrant cultural aspects and several well-executed set pieces, but the entire experience becomes grating by the total lack of subtlety, poorly developed characters, and flimsy script.
An animated prologue explains Hindu āstras, supernatural powers that grant the abilities of different gods, monkeys, bulls, etc. These āstras are subservient to the Brahmāstra, a weapon with the ability to destroy the universe and all life. The Brahmānsh are a secret society who wield different āstras. Think of them like the MCU’s Eternals, immortals who watch humanity over countless generations while protecting the separated pieces of the Brahmāstra. Their goal is to prevent the Brahmāstra from being united and the emergence of its vanquished lord.
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Ranbir Kapoor stars as Shiva, a DJ who throws massive dance parties and lives above an orphanage. An orphan himself, Shiva is haunted by dark visions from different places and times. He catches a brief glance of the stunningly beautiful Isha (Alia Bhatt) at a rave. Shiva instantly falls in love with her. He follows Isha and convinces her to join him at the orphanage for a birthday party.
Shiva and Isha’s first date is interrupted by a strange occurrence. Shiva has a near seizure while seeing a man under attack. The Scientist, Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, tries to fight off a pair of mysterious villains. He’s finally bested by their master, Junoon (Mouni Roy). She knows he’s a member of the Brahmānsh and holds a piece of the Brahmāstra. Shiva also pictures the location of another Brahmānsh, the Artist (Nagarjuna Akkineni). He must warn him as Junoon’s next target. Isha refuses to let him go alone. Shiva doesn’t tell her his greatest secret. He hides his ability to summon a deadly āstra.
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The Beginning of a Bigger Story
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, as you can obviously infer from the title, is the beginning of a bigger story. Shiva must learn to control his powers, learn the truth about his parents’ disappearance, and face a destiny that will shape the world. That’s a lot to chew on for a guy who’s met the girl of his dreams. He just wants Isha’s love. The smitten pair sings and dances to express their affection. They learn the hard way that Junoon and her rabid followers aren’t interested in musical interludes.
The light versus dark narrative is commonplace and easily understood. But you’ll have to pay close attention if a neophyte to Hindu lore. Shiva’s character represents one of the main deities. A lot of symbolism isn’t explained. The film is meant for an Indian audience, so it doesn’t take time to spoon-feed important details. What required more development was the cheesy romance. The love at first sight angle falls flat. No amount of jiggling and crooning can make up for its utter lack of believability.
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, one of the most expensive Indian films ever made, inundates with exhausting visual effects. Some are admittedly cool. There’s nifty Matrix-esque bullet dodging and wire work. But a majority of the film has bewildering CGI that gets annoying fast. I liken it to the Fantastic Beasts franchise where the characters are just waving their arms and shooting light like laser tag.
Director/writer Ayan Mukerji, a scion of prominent Indian actors and filmmakers, swings for the fences on all fronts. He needed to exercise restraint. There are bells and whistles galore but little depth. His generic characters become jumbled in a fire hose delivery of fluff. The sequel has to be toned down and more nuanced.
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva has Hindi dialogue with English subtitles. The film is a production of Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, and Starlight Pictures. It will have a theatrical release on September 9th from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
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