Ranbir Kapoor plays Shiva, a lad next door with a link to the mystical old sword Brahmastra. Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy also appear in the Ayan Mukerji film.
On Wednesday morning, the much-anticipated trailer for Ayan Mukerji’s epic opus Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva was unveiled. The trailer establishes the tone for the film, which has been dubbed India’s response to fantasy epics such as Lord of the Rings. The three-minute video is jam-packed with aesthetically spectacular moments, incredible VFX images, and a sense of the film’s immense scope.
The almost three-minute video begins with Amitabh Bachchan’s voice-over informing us how the five elements’ abilities have been stored in ‘astras’ (weapons) since ancient times, and that this is the narrative of the God of all Astras- the Brahmastra. We then meet Ranbir Kapoor’s Shiva, a boy next door who has no idea he is anyway linked to the Brahmastra. He meets Isha, and we observe them falling in love before we and Isha discover Shiva’s secret: fire does not burn him.
Shiva realizes that ancient powers are at work in the world, with two factions fighting for control of the Brahmastra. We witness Amitabh Bachchan and Nagarjuna as the good guys, as well as Mouni Roy as the film’s villain. Amitabh Bachchan’s persona then explains to Shiva how he became linked to the realm of astral, and Shiva steps into his position as the rescuer he was born to be.
The trailer elicited enthusiastic reactions from fans. “VFX is excellent. I’ve never seen this level of VFX in any Indian film.”
Many begged fans not to compare it to Hollywood blockbusters. “Don’t compare it to Marvel,” one fan said. Marvels are created on a shoestring budget. I’m glad that Indian cinema is evolving, and that they produced this film on a shoestring budget.”
Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra will be released on September 9. For the first time, Ranbir appears with their wife Alia Bhatt. They started dating after meeting on the set of the film. Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy also appear in the film. The film is the first trilogy aimed at establishing India’s cinematic world, known as the Astraverse.
The film has been delayed many times throughout the years. It started filming in 2017 and, despite delays caused by the epidemic and other causes, reshoots finished early this year when Ranbir and Alia filmed a song in Varanasi. It is one of the most costly and ambitious Indian films ever filmed, with an estimated budget of about 300 crores.
On the occasion of the trailer’s premiere, director Ayan Mukerji said, “Brahmstra is the type of film that the nation would feel genuinely proud of, marking the birth of a new cinematic world, The Astraverse.” It honors our heritage, celebrates our rich culture, and advances us technologically. Bringing together some of Pan-most India’s prominent personalities was a dream come true!”
In addition to Hindi, the film will be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam. The film is being presented in all four languages by director SS Rajamouli, with Chiranjeevi lending his voice to the Telugu trailer.
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