Overview
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva is an Indian Hindi-language fantasy action film released on 9 September 2022. Written and directed by Ayan Mukerji, it is the first instalment of a planned trilogy collectively titled the Astraverse, conceived as an original cinematic universe rooted in Indian mythology. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles, with Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni in pivotal parts, and a special appearance by Shah Rukh Khan.
Produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions in association with Star Studios, Prime Focus and Starlight Pictures, the film was released theatrically in Hindi along with dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. It became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2022.
Key facts
| Title | Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva |
|---|---|
| Director | Ayan Mukerji |
| Writer | Ayan Mukerji |
| Producers | Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Namit Malhotra, Mukerji |
| Production companies | Dharma Productions, Star Studios, Prime Focus, Starlight Pictures |
| Lead cast | Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy, Nagarjuna Akkineni |
| Music | Pritam (songs), Simon Franglen (score) |
| Cinematography | V. Manikandan, Pankaj Kumar, Sudeep Chatterjee, Vijay Kumar Arumugam, Patrick Duroux |
| Editing | Prakash Kurup |
| Language | Hindi (with dubbed regional releases) |
| Theatrical release | 9 September 2022 |
| Distribution (overseas/digital) | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (theatrical), Disney+ Hotstar (streaming) |
Plot
The narrative follows Shiva, a young Mumbai-based DJ who falls in love with Isha at a Dussehra celebration. Shiva soon discovers that he possesses an unexplained immunity to fire and a connection to a hidden order known as the Brahmānsh, an ancient brotherhood that guards a set of celestial weapons called astras. The most powerful of these is the Brahmāstra, scattered into pieces and protected through generations. As dark forces led by Junoon attempt to reassemble the weapon, Shiva is drawn into a mythic conflict that reveals his own destiny as wielder of the Agni-astra and a future master of the Brahmāstra.
Cast
- Ranbir Kapoor as Shiva
- Alia Bhatt as Isha
- Amitabh Bachchan as Guru Raghu, head of the Brahmānsh
- Mouni Roy as Junoon
- Nagarjuna Akkineni as Anish Shetty, the Nandi-astra wielder
- Shah Rukh Khan as the scientist Mohan Bhargav, the Vānar-astra wielder (special appearance)
- Dimple Kapadia as Shiva's late mother (voice/appearance)
Production
The project was first announced in 2014 by Dharma Productions and Mukerji as a fantasy adventure rooted in Indian astra mythology. Principal photography began in 2018 and was conducted across multiple schedules in Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Israel, New York, Manali, Varanasi and Mumbai. The film's release was repeatedly postponed due to extensive visual-effects work and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visual effects were supervised by Prime Focus and DNEG, with additional work by several international VFX houses. The film is widely cited as one of the most VFX-intensive Indian productions of its era. Mukerji has stated that the trilogy is built on a self-developed mythological framework drawing inspiration from Sanskrit texts, while creating original characters and situations.
Music
The soundtrack was composed by Pritam, with lyrics primarily by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Major tracks include Kesariya, Deva Deva, Dance Ka Bhoot and Rasiya. Kesariya, sung by Arijit Singh, became one of the most-streamed Hindi songs of 2022. The background score was composed by British film composer Simon Franglen. Music rights were acquired by Sony Music India.
Release and reception
Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva opened on 9 September 2022 across approximately 8,000 screens worldwide, including a wide IMAX release. It was the first Indian film to be released in the Dolby Cinema format in the country. The film recorded one of the largest opening weekends for a Hindi film in 2022 and went on to become among the year's highest-grossing Hindi releases. Critical reception was mixed; reviewers praised the visual effects, music and ambition while pointing to weaknesses in the screenplay and dialogue. The film began streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in November 2022.
Awards
The film received recognition primarily in technical categories, including nominations and wins at the Filmfare Awards, IIFA Awards and Zee Cine Awards for cinematography, visual effects, production design, music and song rendition.
Sequels and the Astraverse
The film is intended as the first of three connected films. Subsequent instalments, tentatively titled Brahmāstra: Part Two – Dev and Brahmāstra: Part Three, were announced as part of the Astraverse, with Mukerji and Dharma Productions developing the franchise.
Significance
Brahmāstra is considered a notable attempt by the mainstream Hindi film industry to build an original fantasy franchise inspired by Indian mythology, comparable in ambition to international cinematic universes. It marked one of the largest VFX undertakings in Indian cinema and the first on-screen pairing of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, who married earlier in 2022.