The Bollywood Superhero Fantasy is a wildly exaggerated fantasy. “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva” is the kind of pre-fabricated Hollywood-style event blockbuster that the Hindi-language film industry has been chasing after for years now, but somehow still hasn’t nailed.
This action-adventure is family-friendly and covers territory previously muddled by recent Hindi language superhero pictures, such as “Krrish” (2006), “Ra.One”(2011). “Krrish 3” (2013).
The key selling points of “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva,”It follows a plot to defeat an evil demigod. The movie’s lavish special effects are MCU-style branding. (The movie is the first of a planned series. “Astraverse” trilogy.) The action scenes and musical numbers are not memorable, but neither is the acting.
Published about a month and half before Diwali “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva” still presents itself as a holiday-themed spectacular, right down to its protagonists’ heavily foregrounded certainty that love and light will inevitably defeat encroaching darkness. (Diwali) “a festival of light,”As a newspaper headline boldly proclaims in the movie
A handsomely animated opening scene establishes the movie’s mytho-fantasy backstory: for centuries, the Brahmānsh, a clandestine group of Himalayan cultists, have protected the world using their super-powered Astra weapons, like the Brahmāstra, the Astra whatsit to rule them all. Modern-day Mumbai is home to the “Watchmen”-style murder of a prominent scientist (Shah Rukh Khan in a prominent and extensive cameo) kicks off a mysterious plot to re-unite the Brahmāstra, whose three pieces have been split up and entrusted to various members of the Brahmānsh.
The fate of the entire world is dependent on Shiva (Ranbir Kapooor), a happy-go lucky DJ who sometimes manipulates fire with his mind. Shiva’s also plagued by “Lord of the Rings”–style visions of Dev, a fiery stone deity who psychically empowers the evil Junoon (TV star Mouni Roy), the latter of whom murders Khan’s character and steals his portion of the Brahmāstra. Junoon wants to use the Brahmāstra to revive Dev, but the reunification of that particular Astra could destroy the planet, so Shiva must stop her.
Shiva’s joined in his hero’s quest by under-developed girlfriend Isha (Alia Bhatt), whose love gives Shiva enough magically enhanced strength to match Junoon and her makeshift army of Dev-worshipping cannon fodder. Shiva’s also mentored by the imaginatively named Guru (Amitabh Bachchan), the leader of the Brahmānsh and a primary source of expository dialogue following the movie’s post-interval break. Guru also teaches a multicultural group of Astra-using kids at his Himalayan ashram, where the Brahmānsh ultimately confront Junoon and her followers.
This familiar plot often stops and starts for action scenes, musical numbers, and other routines. Shiva’s fire powers stand out among the Brahmānsh’s abilities since his multi-colored pyrotechnics have more personality than everyone else’s generic-looking energy beams. Everybody strikes action-figure poses and vaults around surprisingly well-lit and generously paced action scenes, which are at least snappier than the MCU’s over-edited set pieces.
Unfortunately, even the movie’s best song-and-dance numbers tend to substitute kitchen-sink pageantry for dynamic choreography and distinctive production design. The introductory musical number is a festive one. It features a large number of performers, some beautiful costumes, and little in the way of memorable lyrics or dance moves. Bachchan is allowed to shake a big blue sword, but the Bollywood actor does not stand out in scenes clearly intended to show visual effects. Despite being a highly-anticipated production, it is still a great film. “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva” will probably disappoint fans of recent maximalist Indian blockbusters, particularly South Indian hitmaker S.S. Rajamouli’s crossover hit “RRR.”
Still, it’s telling that Bachchan doesn’t get to do much in “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva”Despite his iconic token role. Big B has been passing on the baton to the next generation Bollywood stars for some time now. However, very few of his replacements have succeeded in breaking out of their star-roles. So it’s unsurprising that, while Bhatt Kapoor have some chemistry, their characters’ romance never seems to matter beyond paying constant lip service to the power of wuv.
Isha constantly inserts herself into Shiva’s narrative, and he inevitably realizes that she deserves to be his sidekick, because only her affection can kick his superpowers up a notch. This pseudo-romantic power dynamic will seem especially disappointing to Bhatt’s fans, who know she can and often has done better, as in her marquee-topping performances in “RRR” and “Gangubai Kathiawadi”This year, it was earlier.
Kapoor doesn’t fare much better, despite being more prominently situated in this movie’s firmament of stars. He’s certainly not helped by plodding dialogue and an unlovable search for his lost parents, whose identities will surprise only the most credulous viewers. Then again, both Bachchan and Khan have done a lot more with much less, so Kapoor’s not completely blameless for sweating his way through such a hotly tipped lead performance. He practically drowns on dry land when, in a later scene, Shiva slowly but surely pieces together how he’s related to Dev.
The inevitable sequel, tentatively called “Brahmāstra Part Two: Dev”The film, “The Hero” will have a character worth rooting for. Expectant Bollywood fans will have until then to live with “Part One,”The wan tentpole, whose talents never surpass its unrealized potential.
“Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva”The film opens in U.S. theaters Sept. 9, via 20th Century Studios. It premieres on Hulu on Nov. 4,