BRAHMASTRA – MOVIE REVIEW

BRAHMASTRA Part One – Shiva is a fantasy adventure film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji. It is produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Namit Malhotra, and Mukerji – in his debut production – under the production companies Dharma Productions, Starlight Pictures, and Prime Focus in association with Star Studios.The film is a supposed trilogy to be part of an extended cinematic universe titled Astraverse.

BRAHMASTRA makes a very tepid beginning. Half an hour into the film you wonder if this is an ode to their “wonderful” romance? Yes, you do get glimpses of action before the lead pair return often to douse the fire. The grandeur is fantastic. Characters behave like we already are aware of what their roles are. They walk around without any emotional connect with the happenings on screen. The action scenes are mostly fine, but the plot is as light as the popcorn you are popping and the screenplay is as bland as diet coke. Humour in the film can outperform the silly jokes of your boss. The screenplay oscillates between the sudden bouts of affection the lead pair feel for each other and the fights where the villains appear out of nowhere throwing everything that they have at our eyes protected by 3D spectacles. If the first half was barely watchable, the second half is where the action overtakes the romance. The decent VFX is the saving grace. Revisit the serial “Mahadev” for some real action.

Ranbir Kapoor is decent in the film. Alia Bhatt is OK. Amitabh Bachan is his usual self. Nagarjun looks jaded in a short role. Mouni Roy has just one black dress to wear and one expression to show. The rest make up the numbers.

Despite a huge budget the production design is found wanting. Cinematography by V. Manikandan,Pankaj Kumar,Sudeep Chatterjee,Vikash Nowlakha and Patrick Duroux confuses the pattern. Editing by Prakash Kurup is off the mark. Background music by Simon Franglen is OK. Pritam songs are good. Dialogues are ludicrous and direction ordinary.

BRAHMASTRA is three quarters” nonsensical” romance and one quarter “romantic” nonsense

BRAHMASTRA – BUMMER !!

2/5

B.U.Shreesha