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Absolute Review: Brahmastra: Part One-Shiva: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s Astraverse Is A Visual Delight, albeit with a few glitches

By: Aakruti Bagla

Direction: Ayan Mukerji

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Runtime: 2h 40min

Rating: 3.5/5

Before one begins to start reviewing the film, one factor that must be known by the audience is that this magnum-opus is seeing the light after seven long years of hard work. It is truly a product of Ayan Mukerji’s blood and sweat. But does it live up to all the hype surrounding it? Let’s find out.

Story: The film begins with Amitabh Bachchan speaking about the various ‘Astras’ – water, fire, wind – that constitute the ‘Brahmastra’. The destiny of Brahmastra depends on a carefree boy name Shiva, who is a DJ by profession. He falls in love at first sight with Isha. Shiva is oblivious to the fact that he is a part of Brahman, where the forces protecting Brahmastra reside, and he himself is an Astra-Agniastra. We later witness some evil forces who are hell-bent on procuring Brahmastra and causing destruction. Well, what happens when he discovers these powers? Will he be able to control the mayhem that Brahmastra will cause? The answer to these questions lies in the film.

Review: Ayan Mukerji’s idea and the story is undoubtedly novel. He has perfectly juxtaposed cues of energies from Indian mythology with a love story. But his riveting vision heavily relies on strong VFX and CGI. In this case, Ayan has got the visual aesthetics right. The cinematography team too has done an incredible job with the picturization and deserves a huge applause for the visual treatment that gels pretty well with the storyline.

The first half of the film encompasses spectacular and brilliantly crafted action sequences which provide ample exhilarating moments and edge-of-the-seat thrills. The intermission point is unarguably mind-blowing. However, the effects and thrills mounted by the first half are bogged down by the underwhelming second half of the film due to constant predictability.

Apart from the underwhelming second half, another aspect that acts as a chink in this armour is that the power that Brahmastra possess should have been portrayed well. Not only this, it’s the insipid writing also because of which the spark that should have been ignited, indeed dims.

Talking about performance, Ranbir and Alia’s chemistry does not appear to be crackling as marketed. However, individually, Ranbir’s act stands out. Be it a charming DJ, or coming to terms with the power he possesses, he delivers a fine act. Alia Bhatt as Isha may be the factor to Shiva’s fire but fails to be an intriguing factor to take the narrative forward. Ranbir’s camaraderie with Amitabh Bachchan is something to look forward to. Amitabh Bachchan is truly a guru, not only of Brahmansh but also of acting. And he proves it yet again. Nagarjuna as Nandi-Astra leaves an impact. A story like this requires a menacing antagonist, and Mouni Roy aces her part well. Some cameo appearances do leave you gobsmacked (won’t mention them as it would hinder the anticipation).

When it comes to music, Pritam delivers a striking score with ‘Kesariya’, ‘Deva Deva’ and ‘Dance Ka Bhoot’. The background score of the film is electrifying and leaves an unceasing impact.

Conclusion: On the whole, Ayan Mukerji’s cinematic world is a supremely novel experience due to its visual extravaganza.

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