The much-awaited trailer of Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is finally here. It is the first of the trilogy directed by Ayan Mukherji. The film was set in motion a decade back, when the Wake up Sid director thought about this fantasy mythology. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Mouni Roy and Shahrukh Khan, who has extended cameo in the film.
I, along with a few other film journalists, watched the trailer in a theatre in 3D at a special preview a day before its release. This magnum opus is definitely a visual treat. A film like this one needs the support of strong VFX and CGI to bring the director's vision to life and that it does.
The video begins with Amitabh Bachchan speaking about the various 'astras' - water, fire, wind - that constitute the 'brahmastra'. Cut to Ranbir aka Shiva, a young boy who is oblivious to the powers that reside in him. He meets Isha (Alia Bhatt) and they fall in love with each other. We then see the evil forces join hands to defeat Shiva. The trailer offers us glimpses of Mouni Roy, Amitabh and Nagarjuna's characters.
"Brahmastra is a fantasy fiction, not a superhero film” says Ayan. It’s about a mythological hero, Shiva. From the trailer it looks like the intense love story between Shiva and Isha will be pivotal to the story. The actors, who started dating when they began shooting for the film, will be seen together for the first time on-screen since their marriage.
Amitabh Bachchan plays Guru, Shiva’s mentor, and his presence and voice does the magic and takes the promos up a few notches. Nagaarjuna Akkineni plays artist Anish and Mouni plays Junoon. Junoon certainly stands out with her red eyes, and this Queen of darkness is one the bad guys.
The film is produced by Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, and Starlight Pictures and will release theatrically on 9 September across 5 Indian languages – Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film is presented by SS Rajamouli in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
As the film’s tag line says, Ab Khel Shuru - will Brahmastra win the box office game or the viewers' hearts?
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)