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'brahmastra' verdict: twitterati lauds ranbir kapoor and alia bhatt-starrer, calls it a 'visual classic'.

Impressed with the film, many fans predicted that the superhero flick will "create new records" at the box-office.

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‘Brahmastra’ clocks Rs 23 cr in advance ticket sales, Ranbir-Alia starrer surpasses ‘RRR’ bookings

Claps all around, people are proud that we now have this kind of film in bollywood truly a visually cinematic exper… https://t.co/GTBhxnDynm — Kabir (@justKabirr) 1662676599000

Ranbir Kapoor gets candid about 'Shamshera', says film failed because content was not good

#Brahmastra #BrahmastraReview is a visual CLASSIC from start to end. Ayan's conviction ✅. Ranbir is the show-stea… https://t.co/ZDnCPtkqjF — Lokesh (@LokeshAnalyst) 1662651042000

#BrahmastraMedia Screening ended A friend who saw says this is something Bollywood has never produced.It will be… https://t.co/PmOXpi8tr6 — Anand Abhirup #VedhaArmy📌 🧡 (@SanskariGuruji) 1662648749000

#Brahmastra for me is a visual spectacle.. Well written.. Well directed.. Bas dialogues cringy feel hote hain.. But… https://t.co/0GBFNFFRKc — MohitVerse (@comicverseyt) 1662706489000

Brahmastra's promotions: Ranbir Kapoor speaks perfect Telugu at event, gets applause. This is what he said

MASS KA BAAP, FAULAD KI AULAAD - SHAH RUKH KHAN !!King @iamsrk entire theatre was cheering on your dialogue deli… https://t.co/6WNb0dgSvx — Zalzala 🔥 (@SRKZalzala) 1662708975000

#OneWordReview...#Brahmāstra: DISAPPOINTING.Rating: ⭐⭐#Brahmāstra is a king-sized disappointment… High on VFX, l… https://t.co/kLxa7iiMXo — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) 1662701553000

#Brahmastra A Subpar Fantasy Adventure that had a interesting storyline/setup but is hampered by weak writing and s… https://t.co/Z3kgqk8ykW — Venky Reviews (@venkyreviews) 1662682318000

One word Review: MESS#Brahmastra: 🌟½ (1.5/5)#BrahmastraReview Right from the opening scene lacking in connect… https://t.co/nSGPYDF5eN — Light Yagami (@Light_Yagamind) 1662664592000

#Brahmastra    - Rating ⭐️½This film is a personification of DISASTER. Horrible VFX & direction, not even a sing… https://t.co/2wHVx5nzTq — Sumit KadeI 🗨️ fan (@beingskd786) 1662697950000

How much is Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt starrer 'Brahmastra' expected to earn in first week of release? Know here

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Brahmastra Part One: Shiva Review

Brahmāstra Devesh Sharma , Sep 9, 2022, 11:56 IST

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Brahmastra Movie Review: Ayan Mukerji's film with Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor is a visually sound start to Astraverse

Updated Sep 9, 2022, 14:49 IST

Brahmastra movie review

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‘Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva’ Review: Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt Carry This Bollywood Superhero Spectacular

A young man and woman fall in love just as he begins to unlock his destiny, guiding the pair on an action-fueled collision course with nefarious forces hell-bent on mass destruction.

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The most powerful weapon of the Gods, the Brahmāstra, has been dormant for three decades. The last time it was awakened, it caused chaos across the globe. To protect the world, the Brahmānsh split it into three pieces, scattered around India, guarded by key leaders. On the same night that poor, humble DJ Shiva ( Ranbir Kapoor ) meets the love of his life, quick-witted beauty Isha ( Alia Bhatt ), he begins to be plagued by mysterious, debilitating visions that impede his budding romance. A dark force, led by Junoon (Mouni Roy) is seeking to unite the fractured pieces and achieve world domination and mass destruction. As these visions grow more intense, our budding hero must answer the call, embarking on an adventure with Isha to uncover his destiny.

Character development doesn’t follow the traditional hero’s journey arc. Rather, the film uses that model as the departure point for a unique twist on the expected, innovating and updating it. It’s an enlightened way to include Isha’s agency and arc, which runs complementary to Shiva’s. The pair are archetypal heroes who are fundamentally good, kind souls with heartwarming values that reflect narrative themes of sacrifice, truth and love. These character qualities are always at the forefront of the action, even before the supernatural elements occur. Orchestrating this subtly is a feat given the film’s bombastic, over-the-top nature.

Leads Kapoor and Bhatt have an excess of charm and style that leaps off the screen and grabs your heart. Kapoor’s charisma elevates the material’s sporadically hokey dialogue. Bhatt is luminescent, playing both spitfire and sweetheart with gusto and grace. They are at their most endearing when vulnerable. During a few sequences, whether they’re running over rooftops during fireworks or being sprinkled with marigold petals in a musical number, we can practically spot the dynamic duo falling head over heels for real — since we in the audience are rooting for the real-life newlywed couple.

Casting titans of Indian Cinema as the Brahmāstra pieces’ guardians (towering talents like Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni and a gigantic Bollywood superstar who’d be a spoiler to reveal) is a shrewd move, as it gives the ensuing action added gravitas, while gifting the audience with gleeful grins. Sequences that thrive on special effects, showing these men locked in a battle of muscular wit and grit, deliver on the promise of blockbuster fun. Stunt choreography on the whole is lively, naturally including superhero landings for a few folks, but could stand to be infused with more originality.

With a soundtrack including a range of ballads and bops, and score from Pritam Chakraborty that would be celebrated at any nightclub, the film’s soundscape feels emotionally expansive and immersive. Mukerji’s vision for character-driven action is appealing on a multitude of levels, as are the scale and scope of the Astraverse’s future, which crystalizes by the film’s end.

Reviewed at AMC Burbank 16, Burbank, Sept. 7, 2022. Running time: 165 MIN.

• Production: (India) A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures release of a Magic Wand Films production, in association with Star Studios, Dharma Prods., Prime Focus, Starlight Pictures. Producers: Marijke Desouza, Karan Johar, Ranbir Kapoor, Namit Malhotra, Ayan Mukerji.
• Crew: Director: Ayan Mukerji. Screenplay: Ayan Mukerji. Camera: Pankaj Kumar, Sudeep Chatterjee, Patrick Duroux, Manikandan, Vikash Nowlakha. Editor: Prakash Kurup. Music: Pritam Chakraborty.
• With: Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Mouni Roy.

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Brahmāstra: Part One does the Marvel superhero epic without Marvel

Disney’s Indian superhero blockbuster arrives to the US in hopes of an international crossover

by Jesse Hassenger

In its broad outlines, the new worldwide theatrical release Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva has a number of attributes American viewers may associate with Indian blockbuster cinema: It has a vibrant color scheme, includes several splashy musical numbers, and runs fairly long, with a built-in space for an intermission. American theaters may skip that part, since 160-minute run times have become near-standard length for big-ticket American blockbusters. And a big-ticket American blockbuster is what Brahmāstra also resembles. Specifically, it recalls 2021’s Marvel epic Eternals , though it lacks the contemplative tone director Chloé Zhao attempted to bring to that film. Brahmāstra is sillier, chintzier, and unavoidably more fun.

It’s also an actual corporate cousin to the Marvel movies, because it was produced by Star Studios, once co-owned by the companies Star India and 20th Century Fox, and now yet another Disney subsidiary. Brahmāstra is the most expensive Hindi production ever, though the exchange rate places its budget around $51 million. This is also the exact price range that gets American studios nervous, where movies fall between cheaper, lower-risk offerings and mega-budget tentpoles. Like so many other would-be blockbusters, Brahmāstra has its eye on a cinematic universe, with “Part One” featured in its title and “Part Two” inevitably teased by the story’s end.

Perhaps the most Hollywood aspect of Brahmāstra is the sense that this confidence may be misplaced. Writer-director Ayan Mukerji opens his movie with a torrent of exposition about the Astras, Eternals-like beings imbued with the power of elements or animals. They’re also members of the Brahmānsh, a group sworn to protect humankind from the dangers of the Brahmāstra, a magic stone that can be wielded as a world-ending weapon.

The weapon has been split into pieces, and a relatively mild-mannered DJ named Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) becomes ensnared in the race to find them. Initially armed only with his ability to “find the light” in a cruel world, Shiva will need to unlock his own heretofore untested fire-harnessing power in order to face off against the evil Junoon (Mouni Roy).

It takes a while for Shiva to be sent off on his quest, and that’s one of the best things about Brahmāstra . Though there isn’t much grown-up depth to Shiva’s blossoming relationship with his rich-girl crush Isha (Alia Bhatt), their introductory flirtation gets more space than most superhero romances do in their entirety. This includes a couple of musical numbers ranging from music-video huge to single-room intimate, allowing both Kapoor and Bhatt to play sweetly besotted, even downright moony, where even the more relationship-minded Eternals felt more businesslike. There’s no faux-bickering between de facto colleagues here; Isha throws herself into Shiva’s derring-do because they are in love , even if sexuality remains a seemingly remote idea.

The deeper Brahmāstra gets into its mythology (and running time), the murkier it gets. This is true of both the story, which reloads its exposition dispenser for another round in the second half, and the visual effects, which are largely of the colorful-light-beam variety. The visual design is yet another Eternals parallel, though at the same time, this $50 million production has a fairly stunning quantity of effects — and sometimes the quality is surprisingly good, too.

Technically, they aren’t as impressive as what’s on offer in many Hollywood blockbusters, but given their vivid color and the movie’s cartoony sensibility, the cheaper flourishes don’t stick out as sorely as they would in this movie’s more expensive counterparts.

Brahmāstra was shot on and off over the course of four years, in part due to COVID-19 pandemic delays. While it would be a stretch to say those delays are visible on screen, exhaustion does set in during the movie’s final hour. Revelations about Shiva’s absent family and the large-scale battles over the big McGuffin just can’t compete with the charm of those earlier sequences, where two earnest young people are whisked away on an adventure in full faith that they can actually help each other.

When Mukerji isn’t throwing dance-number parties or energetically running through standbys like the powers-training montage, he’s subject to the same zip-zap fatigue that mars plenty of Marvel and DC movies. Though the movie attempts to circle back to its love story, it nearly drowns out its characters with noisy promises about what might go down in the potential sequel.

Big-canvas, effects-heavy Indian film had a moment in the U.S. earlier this year when the Telugu-language hit RRR became a big-screen attraction and object of film-geek admiration. Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva seems unlikely to inspire similar devotion. In North America, at least, it feels like it’s been plugged into the release schedule as a stopgap, at a time when moviegoers are about to enter a month or more without spectacle-fueled big-screen productions. Anyone suffering from severe summer-movie withdrawal might want to seek this one out, so long as they prepare themselves for a familiar summer sensation. The film pops, then fizzes and fades: It’s a firecracker of a movie, for better and worse.

Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva debuts in theaters on Sept. 9.

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Brahmastra Review: Ranbir Kapoor Anchors The Action In Ambitious And Entertaining Fantasy

Brahmastra review: on the acting front, ranbir and alia achieve the impossible - they ensure that shiva and isha are always believable even as the goings-on around them are beyond fantastic..

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

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

The relentless action that explodes on the screen accompanied by blinding fireworks and a high-decibel background score is a key part of the nearly three-hour-long Brahmastra Part One: Shiva . It isn't the pyrotechnics, however, that define the film that kicks off Bollywood's first proposed superhero trilogy. Its sweep, scale, style and swathes of originality do.

That is not to say that the astraverse (a universe of weapons drawn from the elements and the natural world) created in Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is likely to give Marvel's multiverse a run for its money. Or even that this film is an epitome of perfection. Parts of it do go a tad awry. Others are somewhat enervating, given the film's full-tilt, unbridled approach to the genre.

Brahmastra takes the devices of the superhero flick as we know them and stirs them up in a way that isn't entirely potboiler-style derivative, which is quite a feat given that it is primarily intent on rustling up a maximalist universe where everything is designed to dazzle the audience into willing submission.

Writer-director Ayan Mukerji couches the overlong adventure fantasy in an engaging, if a touch facile, love story between a DJ and the strong-willed, free-spirited girl who he falls in love with at first sight while whipping up a musical frenzy at a Mumbai Durga Puja pandal.

Their blossoming romance and the fire-hurling power that the boy possesses propels the two lovers down the path of duty and places them in situations from where they can go in only one fraught direction. The adventure takes them to the holy city of Varanasi and to the Himalayas, where time seems to stand still. But the duo has no time to pause and wonder what on earth is going on.

The Brahmastra saga is steeped in ancient Indian mythology, but the film expertly skirts around overt religiosity while stressing on the core concept of a timeless war between roshni (light) and andhera (darkness), between selfless sacrifice and righteousness on one side and personal ambition and destruction on the other.

Hindu religious festivities - Durga Puja, Dussehra, Kali Puja and Diwali, which is the time around which the film is set - dominate the first half hour of the film. That apart, the play on Shiva and Parvati - Isha is one of Durga's names - is obvious, but one character rechristens the male protagonist 'Dragon', perhaps a nod to Norse and Viking mythology with an eye on universalizing a story rooted in Bharatvarsh.

The young couple's mission is to stop the machinations of the forces of darkness that are looking to take control of the world by grabbing the three pieces of the brahmastra - a weapon of mass destruction that has survived for eons under the watch of Lord Brahma, the God of astras, and his human designates and has been inactive for three decades - and making them whole again and unleashing mayhem.

In the astraverse, the three pieces of the brahmastra are guarded by a trio of men - a scientist, an artist and a mystic - all of whom exist in the here and now as individuals who seem ordinary enough until they begin to reveal the hidden, distinct and elemental powers that they have been granted.

In the long-drawn out battle royale that ensues, the hero, Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), has to first grasp the dimensions of his destiny as a saviour of mankind before he can embark upon an all-out confrontation with Junoon, the Queen of Darkness (Mouni Roy).

The young man is assailed by doubts and reservations. But what lies in store for him is preordained and, as it transpires, there is no turning back him. He is aided by his beloved Isha (Alia Bhatt), a woman who isn't given to playing second fiddle, and a homilies-spouting Guru (Amitabh Bachchan), who dwells in an ashram in the Himalayas where he grooms the next generation of defenders of the light.

A couple of other veteran superstars, one from Mumbai (whose identity shall stay unrevealed), the other from down South (Nagarjuna Akkineni), make appearances as principal figures in inexplicable and unsettling visions that Shiva has as he struggles to find an answer to the question that Isha repeatedly poses to him: Tum ho kaun (who are you)?

While Shiva does not volunteer too much information himself, detailed and verbose explanations are provided especially in the second half by the all-knowing Guru. These passages tend to slow down the film. But once the exposition is out of the way, Brahmastra hurtles along towards the all-important climactic clash between Shiva and Junoon, who is guided by a shadowy evil being.

Some of the background information pertaining to the grand role that has been thrust upon Shiva is overly complex and rambling, which might ironically enthuse many in the audience to watch the movie more than once.

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is a high-octane blend of generic Hollywood conventions and predictable Bollywood tics, of technical razzmatazz and emotional traction. In the matter of the latter, the presence of the newlywed Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt adds a real, tangible edge to the onscreen romance between Shiva and Isha, a union of equals despite the fact that one is a superhero and the other a mere mortal.

The most striking aspect of Brahmastra is its firm eschewal of the kind of hypermasculinity that films of this nature usually perpetuate. With Ranbir Kapoor anchoring the action and the screenplay steering clear of the peddling of unbridled machismo, what we have is a male protagonist who willingly cedes ground to the woman in his life.

In fact, the man, by his own admission, owes a great deal to his mother - a backstory that is alluded to here, but is held back for subsequent instalments of the trilogy.

In one scene, Shiva describes a job at hand as meri zimmedari (my responsibility). Isha corrects him promptly - it's humaari zimmedari (our responsibility), she says.

In another scene early in the film, Shiva says to Isha that he has no surname because he does not know who his father is. In the same breath, he reveals that he plans to adopt the surname of his wife. Here is a superhero who is 'super' in more ways than one.

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is a spectacular production that benefits immensely from the VFX done by DNEG. The crucial action scenes, even as they strain credibility, throb with life and deliver their share of excitement.

The story plays out in recognizable spaces - in an orphanage, an artist's atelier, a hermit's home - in a marked departure from Hollywood's heightened and divorced-from-reality superhero movie template.

On the acting front, Ranbir and Alia achieve the impossible: they ensure that Shiva and Isha are always believable even as the goings-on around them are beyond fantastic. Mouni Roy, playing the arch-villainess who is out to wrest the brahmastra and wreak havoc on mankind, carries the daunting weight of the role without wilting.

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva , ambitious and entertaining, has the makings of a blockbuster of the sort that Bollywood has been desperately seeking for a while.

• Cast Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Mouni Roy
• Director Ayan Mukerji

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school,kolkata., hansini indoori, standard: vii-a,p.b.d.a.v. model school,hyderabad., vaishnavi pateriya, ,standard: x-b,st. peter''s convent school,delhi., standard: xii-a,bds,vadodara/baroda., prachi d.kamble, ,standard: ix-a,sardar dastur nosherwan girls high school,pune., drishya mohan, xii-a,n.c.l- jr college,pune., xii-c, velammal bodhi campus / maxworth,chennai., ,standard: viii-d,queen valley''''s sec-8 dwarka,delhi., likhith gowda, ,standard: xi-a,vyasa international school,bangalore., ritisha roy, ,standard: x-g,amity school (gurgaon sec_46),delhi., tanisha bose, ,standard: vi-b,deens academy,bangalore., samedh bhat, ,standard: viii-b,notre dame academy,bangalore., narayani sharma, ,standard: ix-a,who,jammu., chetan jain, ,standard: vi-b,jamnabai narsi monji - gift city,ahmedabad., ,standard: ix-b,sri sri ravi shankar,mumbai., vaibhav mudgil, ,standard: x-d,gmsss-19c,chandigarh., ,standard: ix-d,dav public school, kukatpally,hyderabad, k saketha nambiar, ,standard: ii-a,bhavans adarsha kakkanad,kochi., standard: ix-a,who,jammu., abhishek kumar, ,standard: x-c,aksips 41 smart school,chandigarh., ,standard: xi-c,sri ramakrishna matric higher secondary school,coimbatore., dhruv jain,, standard: vi-a,jamnabai narsi monji - gift city,ahmedabad., ,standard: ix-d,dav public school, kukatpally,hyderabad., aakash darda, ,standard: x-d,hutchings high school & junior college,pune., khyaati saraogi, class xi, st. mary''s school, pune., standard: ii-a,bhavans adarsha kakkanad,kochi., umang badhwar, ,standard: xii-a,lotus valley school(noida),delhi., priya likhi, ,standard: ix-d,delhi public school bangalore east,bangalore., anvi sharma, ,standard: viii-a,the indian heights school,delhi., ramya raghu k,, standard: vi-g,euroschool wakad,pune., ,standard: xi-a,ncl jr. college,pune., ninaada r adiga, , viii c, innisfree house school, yuvika kandari, ,standard: x-b,laxman public sch(hauz khas encl),delhi., ,standard: vii-a,the indian heights school,delhi., 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chandigarh, shefali bansali, , class x, billabong high international school, kanchipuram, hasika mantripragada, , class viii c, dav public school kukatpally, , class ix-a, sardar dastur nosherwan girls high school, pune, class xi, peace on green earth public school, chennai, class viii c, dav public school kukatpally, priyal garg, viii-d, apeejay school panchsheel park, delhi, inayat kapoor, class xii-d, bhavan vidyalaya panchkula, chandigarh, tanish manem, , class xi-c, p obul reddy public school, hyderabad, aarav raman ashutosh, , class v, sgvp school, ahmedabad, sharayu pathare, class x, air force school, class vii, dav ideal school, vellore, nikshep raman,, class v, gd goenka public school, lucknow, ananya sharma,, class vii, euro-school, undri, ritika maan,, class ix, dav model school, yusuf sarai, delhi, , class iv, delhi school of excellence, attapur, pranavi nagavolu,, vii, delhi school of excellence, attapur, nikshep raman, class vii d, dps bangalore east, shreya nimbali, class xii, delhi public school, rk puram, delhi, fiona merin philipose, class viii-b, mar thoma public school, kochi, manushree rawat, , ix b, st kabir school, ahmedabad, ishan sejush, class v, the global edge school, kokapet, joeliyn n soni, class x, carmel convent school, delhi, gayathridevi jayachandran, class vii a, the orbis school, pune, class x, dc model sr sec school, shanofi somani, class xi-b, delhi public school bopal, ahmedabad, class viii-b, pathways world school aravali, gurgaon, ritika maan, class ix-b, dav model school (yusuf sarai), delhi, ix, aksips-41, chandigarh, divyam agrawal, class ix, apeejay school (pitampura), delhi, class vii-c, global edge school, kukatpally, hyderabad, class xii, dps, rk puram, delhi, , class vi, assisi vidyaniketan public school, kochi, preet jhaveri,, class x, ryan international school, mumbai, standard: xi-a,the bishops co-ed school,pune., snigddha mehta, standard: ix-a,holy child sch pkl-sec-2,chandigarh., saksham sahu,, class v, air 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(barrackpore), west bengal, prabhleen kaur, jaspal kaur public school, new delhi, kenia & anchor english school, shreyas baloni, standard: ix-b,cambrian hall,dehradun., laavanya rajput, standard: x-e,mount carmel school(dwarka),delhi., ritika jyala, class x, dav public school, nerul, navi mumbai, ambika khachi, class ix, bhavan vidyalaya, panchkula, pavana. p. karanth, sadvidya high school, mysore, r . nikhil . m, standard: xii-g,shri tp bhatia college of science,mumbai., bhoomi bhimani, new horizon public school - airoli, navi mumbai, roma ramcoumar, bethel mat hr sec school, srijeet r chivate, army public school kirkee, sunidhi sampige, class x, the brigade school, malleswaram, gayathri devi jayachandran, standard: vii-a,the orbis school,pune, misbah fathima, standard: vi-a,hmr international school,bangalore., satwik baramal, vikhe patil memorial school,lohegaon, aleena s raj, class xii, holy innocents public school, thiruvananthapuram, standard: x-a,yashwantrao chavan english high 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Movie Review: Brahmastra

• Publish Date: Sep 11 2022 3:50PM
• Updated Date: Sep 11 2022 3:52PM

Story: Shiva, a young DJ in Mumbai, discovers that he’s born with a special power that makes him immune and akin to fire. He gradually discovers the secrets behind his own existence that are also tied to a string of mythological incidents. How that changes the course of his life forms the rest of the narrative.

Review: A young, orphaned DJ, Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), leads a happy life, full of light, around a bunch of orphaned kids. His special connection with fire - it doesn’t inflame him - and a host of visuals that appear before him periodically when he shuts his eyes, suck him into a world of superpowers. While there’s a mythological background to this, it also, gradually, connects Shiva to the story of his parents, which changes the course of his life. His search for love and light puts him on the path to destroy evil forces, and discover his true potential.

With comic-book-styled visuals, and Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone, the film sets up its premise and the origin of its universe in an interesting manner. Brahmastra: Part One: Shiva relies heavily on two aspects - its visual effects and the love story of its lead pair, Shiva and Isha, played by Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The film scores a great deal on visual effects. It’s well-thought out, top-notch and effective in most places. For instance, the culmination of the pre-interval scenes is a spectacle.

The film borrows from Indian mythology and folk tales, which is fantastic. The effort and passion invested in creating the universe in this film, replete with minute detailing, are worthy of appreciation. And while doing so, the makers lovingly doff their hats to movies like the Harry Potter franchise. The film shines in divisions like the VFX. The film’s colour palette has been created thoughtfully, and the depiction of the astras created out of the powers of nature and mythological characters is beautiful. The action choreography, especially in the chase sequence before interval, deserves whistles and claps, too.

Watching artistes like Nagarjuna and Amitabh Bachchan playing pivotal parts to the T is a delight, but not much of a surprise. They’ve done it a zillion times before. Nagarjuna in his limited screen time is quite effective. And Mr Bachchan appears comfortable in the skin of his character, performing action scenes with ease. Ranbir’s effort to add emotional gravitas to the proceedings is visible. He tries really hard to take the audience beyond the superficial layers of this film with the way he’s played out Shiva. It would have been great if Alia Bhatt and Mouni Roy’s characters were also developed with the same passion as Ranbir’s for them to have that lasting impact. There’s not much attention paid to the secondary characters either, which is unlike anything director-writer Ayan Mukerji has done so far.

Even though Brahmastra: Part One: Shiva had the potential and the room for it, the film doesn’t score brownie points for the love story of its lead couple which forms the thrust of the narrative here. In fact, it doesn’t seem plausible from the word go which weakens the film at its core in a big way. As a result, the larger story playing out in the film also feels weak and the screenplay suffers, too. The dialogues aren’t able to salvage much either. Towards the latter part, the runtime begins to feel tedious. The narrative could have been balanced better between the two halves of the film. And though the songs are pleasing to the ears, at times, their presence affects the momentum of the narrative.

The line between great and good lies in a believable, character-led story that emotionally engages you. The most imaginative worlds created by cinema’s geniuses eventually rely on the writing to keep everything else glued perfectly in their places. With all its pluses, nothing makes up for the emotional deficits that Brahmastra suffers. If that had been paid more attention to, it would have gone a long way in making the proceedings more praise-worthy.

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Brahmastra Part One: Shiva

A DJ with superpowers and his ladylove embark on a mission to protect the Brahmastra, a weapon of enormous energy, from dark forces closing in on them. A DJ with superpowers and his ladylove embark on a mission to protect the Brahmastra, a weapon of enormous energy, from dark forces closing in on them. A DJ with superpowers and his ladylove embark on a mission to protect the Brahmastra, a weapon of enormous energy, from dark forces closing in on them.

• Ayan Mukerji
• Hussain Dalal
• Amitabh Bachchan
• Ranbir Kapoor
• 1.9K User reviews
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• 57 Metascore
• 37 wins & 41 nominations

Top cast 38

• Anish Shetty

• Mohan Bhargav

• Savitri Devi

• Tiger - Shiva's Friend

• Ali - Shiva's Friend

• Shaina - Isha's Cousin
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Burning Questions With Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor

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• Trivia Alia Bhat has said Shiva 103 times in Brahmastra part 1.
• Connections Features Agneepath (2012)
• Soundtracks Kesariya (Hindi) Music by Pritam Chakraborty Lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya Performed by Arijit Singh

User reviews 1.9K

• mohinderchugh
• Sep 8, 2022
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• September 9, 2022 (United States)
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• Dharma Productions
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• ₹4,100,000,000 (estimated)
• Sep 11, 2022
• $50,164,785

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• Runtime 2 hours 47 minutes
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Is Brahmastra hit or flop? Explaining the economics of box office collections, budgets, and recovery

A lowdown on what brahmastra's box office figures mean for the film’s status as a hit/flop given its budget and scale..

Much has been said, written, tweeted, and discussed about the box office collections of Brahmastra Part One- Shiva . The film has, as per its own producers, earned ₹ 360 crore in gross box office collections worldwide. That is a big number, the highest for any Hindi film this year, in fact. Yet, there are many who are reluctant to label the film a hit. To them, the rider is the film’s massive ₹ 410-crore budget. It sounds logical- how can a film be called successful unless it recovers the producers’ investment. I’ll try and simplify this argument and explain what goes into deciding whether a film is a hit, flop, or somewhere in between. Also read: Brahmastra's reported budget figures are 'all wrong', says Ranbir Kapoor

Why box office collections and budget both matter

Let us first have a look at the bare numbers. As of Monday night, day 11 of the film’s release, Brahmastra had earned ₹ 220 crore nett in all languages across India. In addition, the film has around ₹ 80 crore nett overseas collection, giving it a neat ₹ 300 crore net collection worldwide. Note that the figure is lower than its gross collection, as that involves the entertainment and service taxes levied by authorities. In reality, the figure earned by the industry is always the nett collection.

Now comes the tricky part. Just because two films earn the same amount of money doesn’t always mean both have been equally successful. In this case, the best comparison for Brahmastra is The Kashmir Files , which released just four months ago. The film had a nett collection of around ₹ 290 crore (gross of ₹ 340 crore), pretty much the same as Brahmastra. However, The Kashmir Files’ production budget was just ₹ 15 crore, as compared to ₹ 410 crore for Brahmastra. Hence, The Kashmir Files is a genuine blockbuster while the jury is still out for Brahmastra. Let it complete its run and we will see where it ends up.

The bottom line is that a film’s budget is very important in determining its status. Trade analyst Atul Mohan explains, “The budget does play an important role in determining a film’s status at the box office. A film needs to recover its landing cost with its nett earnings at the box office to be called a hit. If it does less, it can be called anything from below average to flop, depending on how much less it has earned. Similarly, how much more it earns as compared to its budget determines whether it’s a superhit or a blockbuster.” The amount a film earns over its landing cost is called its recovery. Simply put, a film needs to have at least ₹ 1 of recovery to be called a hit.

What is landing cost and how much is that for Brahmastra

The term landing cost, for a film, refers to all the money spent by the makers on it, including the production budget, the publicity budget, and other miscellaneous expenses. The trouble is that such figures are hardly ever made public by producers, so one has to go with sources. Most reports and sources give that oft-quoted figure of ₹ 410 crore as Brahmastra’s production budget. Other sources like Andhra Box Office and Kangana Ranaut’s social media posts claim the film’s budget is ₹ 650 crore. Could that be the landing cost? Who knows except Karan Johar or Ayan Mukerji!

Adding to the confusion is a recent statement by the film’s star Ranbir Kapoor that the film’s budget is spread over three parts. Brahmastra Part One-Shiva is the first of a trilogy. In a recent interview, Ranbir said that the film’s VFX budget is spread over the three films. “The assets we have created for the film, like the fire VFX or effects for other superpowers, they will be used in three films,” Ranbir told Dainik Bhaskar. Again, there is no official source for what the VFX budget of Brahmastra is but is said to be around ₹ 100 crore. If that’s true then ₹ 50-70 crore must be subtracted from the budget of this film. That means Part One’s overall budget is somewhere around ₹ 350-600 crore, depending on who you trust.

And there you have it. Brahmastra needs to do a nett business of ₹ 350-600 crore to be considered a hit. Only four Hindi films have ever earned more than ₹ 600 crore nett and none in the pandemic. The ₹ 350-crore figure looks quite attainable though. If the lower figure is accurate, then the film should be a hit by the time it ends its run. Anything higher will be a tough ask.

A film can flop and still be profitable for producers

As things currently stand, Brahmastra is not a hit, regardless of what most sites may want to label it. It may end up being one, given that it is still making money. But whether it does so or not depends on what its landing cost actually is, which is a closely-guarded secret. The makers would want everyone to believe it is a success. Cinema is a game of perception, after all. What holds true is that the film has managed to bring the audience to the theatres, just not as much as it would have wanted. Also read: Ayan Mukerji celebrates ₹ 360 crore of Brahmastra, pens note long note on Part 2

Many have argued that the team would not make a sequel (that has been announced) if the first part wasn’t successful. The sad truth is that a film can be a box office flop and still make money for the producers. Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 did. Despite being a box office disaster, it made the makers enough money to make part 3. That is because in the 21st century, box office earnings aren’t the only source of income for a film. They also earn through music, satellite, and streaming rights, and a tiny bit through merchandising as well. Industry sources say that Brahmastra stands to earn ₹ 150-200 crore from these four avenues. Add that to the box office collections and it means the producers will end up making a profit on the film in the end, even though it may not even be a hit.

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Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Review

Average Ratings: 3.28/5 Score: 89% Positive Reviews Counted:10 Positive:8 Neutral:1 Negative:1

Ratings: Positive Sentiment  Review By: Komal Nahta Site: Zee ETC Bollywood Business

Ayan Mukerjis direction is splendid. He has made a unique film for the Hindi film-going audience and has complemented the high-on-visual-effects drama with a heart-touching story, juxtaposing both beautifully. His narration is remarkable. On the whole, Brahmastra: Part One Shiva is a super-duper hit. It will do phenomenal business at the box-office and will also take Indian cinema several notches higher on the international map as far as visual effects are concerned.

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Ratings: 2/5  Review By: Taran Adarsh Site: Twitter

Brahmāstra is a king-sized disappointment€¦ High on VFX, low on content second half nosedives€¦ Brahmāstra couldve been a game changer, but, alas, its a missed opportunity€¦ All gloss, no soul.

Ratings: Neutral Sentiment  Review By: Anupama Chopra  Site: Youtube

Brahmastra starts at a high note with an action scene and a major cameo however the constant explaination flatten out the Storytelling. What is consistently good in Brahamstra is the VFX as the 3D and special effects are staggering. As Rajamouli taught us that for dazzling action and spectacle to work it must be rooted in grand emotion which is missing here.  Will I be in line for part 2 Absolutely but I hope in the next film Ayan constructs his vast fantasy on stronger scaffolding For it to become as groundbreaking as MCU the script needs to be as sparkling as the special effects.

Ratings: 3.5/5 Review By: Rachana Site: Times Of India

The line between great and good lies in a believable, character-led story that emotionally engages you. The most imaginative worlds created by cinemas geniuses eventually rely on the writing to keep everything else glued perfectly in their places. With all its pluses, nothing makes up for the emotional deficits that Brahmastra suffers. If that had been paid more attention to, it would have gone a long way in making the proceedings more praise-worthy.

Ratings: 4/5  Review By: Umesh Site: Koimoi

All said and done, Brahmastra has pro-level VFX bundled with enough mythology to keep things interesting. It contains everything that the best-looking Indian film should have with some obvious flaws.

Ratings: 3.5/5  Review By: Sonal Site: Zee News

The plot is special as Shiva and Isha’s story takes the centre stage in an innovative way. However, there are a few places where you feel the lag and to add to the misery it gets confusing too. ‘Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva’ is a wholesome family entertainer which will surely compel you to draw a comparison with Hollywood’s Marvel series. But, Yes! For the first time in Bollywood, the makers have tried something different and bigger on that scale.

Ratings: 3.5/5  Review By: Russell Site: BollywoodLife

The visual treat alone is worth the prove of admission for Brahmastra twice over. The dialogues and romance could’ve been streamlined, but the fantasy world and folklore that draw you in are enough to ensure that hardly anybody should walk out of the theatre saying that they didn’t have a good time. I’m going with 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Ratings: 3.5/5 Review By: Tushar Site: India Today

At a time when Hollywood titles like Lord of the Rings and House of the Dragon are dominating the visual effects space, Brahmastra is a gentle reminder that India too isnt behind in the VFX game and has some of the best work in this genre. Ayans message of love defeating darkness and despair couldnt come at a better time! Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is a visual feast worth your time. Dont skip this one.

Ratings: 3/5  Review By: Saibal Site: NDTV

Brahmastra Part One: Shiva is a spectacular production that benefits immensely from the VFX done by DNEG. The crucial action scenes, even as they strain credibility, throb with life and deliver their share of excitement.Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, ambitious and entertaining, has the makings of a blockbuster of the sort that Bollywood has been desperately seeking for a while.

Ratings: Positive Sentiment  Review By: Courtney Site: Variety

This isnt the usual formula for a romantic comedy, nor is it typical for Indian cinema, which roots itself in ancient mysticism and mythology. Yet thats what makes writer-director Ayan Mukerjis sprawling epic €œBrahmāstra Part One: Shiva€ special and innovative. He smashes up genre conventions as Western cinematic influences readily comingle with pure Bollywood razzle-dazzle. And though the story is occasionally overcomplicated and the spectacle excites and exhausts in equal measure (as even Marvel movies do), its a wildly entertaining jump start to a planned trilogy touted as Bollywoods first original cinematic universe, the €œAstraverse.€

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Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Story:

Shiva, a DJ learns about his strange connection with the element of fire, and also holds the power to awaken the Brahmāstra, a supernatural weapon that is said to be able to destroy the universe, capable of destroying creation and vanquishing all beings. On the other hand, Junoon, the queen of dark forces is also on a quest to get hold of the Brahmāstra. How does Shiva thwart and vanquishes Junoon’s intentions, and also learning about Brahmāstra forms the crux of the plot.

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Release Date:

September 9, 2022 ( India) straight to Theaters

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Cast:

Amitabh Bachchan Ranbir Kapoor Alia Bhatt Mouni Roy Nagarjuna Akkineni

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Director: 

Ayan Mukerji

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Producer: 

Karan Johar Apoorva Mehta Namit Malhotra Ranbir Kapoor Marijke Desouza Ayan Mukerji

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Production Companies:

Star Studios Dharma Productions Prime Focus Starlight Pictures

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Distribution Companies:

Star Studios (India) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Brahmāstra: Part One Shiva Run Time: 

2 Hour 47 Minutes (167 minutes)

Read More About Celebs: Salman Khan  |  Shahrukh Khan  | Aamir Khan  |  Ranbir Kapoor     Hrithik Roshan  |  Akshay Kumar

Rajeev Masand , Taran Adarsh, Komal Nahta , Anupama Chopra Reviews are awaited for this movie

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Channel Pricing

24 march 2023.

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Disney Star network to present the world television premiere of ‘Brahmāstra: Part One: Shiva

The Bollywood blockbuster will be broadcast in five languages across Star Gold, Star Vijay, Asianet, and Star Suvarna on Sunday, March 26 th  and on Star Maa on Wednesday, April 19 th                                                

Disney Star network announces the World Television Premiere of the biggest Bollywood blockbuster of 2022, ‘Brahmāstra’, across the network. The magnum opus, directed by Ayan Mukerji, features an all-star cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy, and Nagarjuna Akkineni. The film will debut on linear TV across the Disney Star network in five languages – Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. This larger-than-life cinematic marvel with breath-taking visuals will be aired on both standard and high-definition(HD) channels of Star Gold, Star Maa, Star Vijay, Asianet and Star Suvarna. The movie premiere is slated for 26 th   March on Star Gold, Star Vijay, Asianet and Star Suvarna and 19 th   April on Star Maa.

“Brahmāstra was the biggest Bollywood movie of 2022; it revived the industry and shattered multiple box office records. The movie has all the right ingredients to engage millions of Indian families on linear television. With this simulcast, the movie will also offer unbeatable value to brands associating with this blockbuster by way of its broad-based appeal cutting across languages and demographics”

Brahmāstra is a critical and commercial success, widely praised for its stunning special effects, engaging story, and top-notch performances by the star-studded cast. With its blend of action, drama, and humour, Brahmāstra is a movie that appeals to audiences of all ages and interests. Set in a fantastical world, the movie takes viewers on an epic journey filled with action, adventure, and drama. The film also explores the ancient mythology of India while incorporating cutting-edge special effects and a heart-pumping soundtrack. With mega hit chartbusters like Kesariya, Rasiya, Deva Deva, and Dance Ka Bhoot, the Brahmāstra music album had lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya and music composed by Pritam, creating a mellifluous rage amongst listeners worldwide! 

Brahmāstra is produced by Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus, and Ayan Mukerji. S.S. Rajamouli presented Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam for its theatrical release. With its state-of-the-art special effects, delightful music and top-notch performances, the television premiere of Brahmāstra is sure to be a most awaited event for viewers who have been waiting to see the film in the comfort of their homes with their families.                                                                       

About Disney Star:  

With a television network that reaches more than 700 million viewers in nine different languages every month and a streaming platform (Disney+ Hotstar) that has transformed the way India consumes entertainment, Disney Star is the leading media & entertainment company in the country. The organization’s entertainment portfolio, which generates more than 20,000 hours of original content every year, cuts across general entertainment, sports, films, infotainment, kids and lifestyle content. 

With leadership positions in every segment it occupies, Disney Star has been redefining the media landscape for more than 30 years now, anchored on the three pillars of story-telling, innovation and an unwavering focus on delivering to the expectations of our audiences.

Sapno ki udaan.. ab sab ke liye! Watch Akshay Kumar starrer Sarfira on Disney+ Hotstar on 11th October, 2024

Produced by Cape of Good Films, Abundantia Entertainment and 2D Entertainment, directed by Sudha Kongara, Sarfira stars Akshay Kumar along with Paresh Rawal and Radhikka Madan, releasing on 11th October, 2024 exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar

1.5cr viewers celebrated with Star Pravah Ganeshutsav event!

The event was a resounding success, drawing in a whopping 1.5 crore viewers during its original airing, and earning an impressive 5.0 TVR rating

Vijay TV’s 'Pandian Stores' Celebration at Tiruvallur

The festivities will start at 5 PM, and everyone is encouraged to attend and make the celebration a grand success.

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Devara Part 1 review: Jr NTR, Saif Ali Khan shoulder predictable action drama

Devara part 1 movie review: director koratala siva's devara part 1, starring jr ntr and saif ali khan, is an action drama with elaborate characterisations. the film features strong performances from jr ntr and saif ali khan, but the story remains predictable..

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• Jr NTR's Devara: Part 1 released in theatres on September 27
• The film, directed by Koratala Siva, has a predictable storyline
• Jr NTR and Saif Ali Khan's performances uplift the film

Release Date: 27 Sep, 2024

Jr NTR, fondly called the 'Man of the Masses' by his fans, is back as a solo lead after six years, choosing director Koratala Siva's Devara (now a two-part film) for his big moment. Devara explores the theme of fear and its impact on an entire generation. Fear is the strongest emotion in Devara, but how is this translated into a cohesive script? Let's find out!

Set in 1996, the story follows a police officer (Ajay), who along with his team are on the hunt for criminals, Daya and Yethi. Their investigation leads them to Singappa (Prakash Raj), who lives in Errasamudram (Red Sea) and recounts the story of Devara (NTR) and Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan). Cut to the 1970s, Devara is a righteous man, who thinks twice before taking a life, while Bhaira, on the other hand, is brutal and kills without hesitation.

Devara is the leader of a group of pirates who loot cargo ships. Their contracts come from Muruga (Murali Sharma). One of their assignments makes Devara realise that he's doing a job that claims the lives of many innocent people. When he proposes to stop robbing, he faces roadblocks from Bhaira and Kunjara (Kalaiyarasan). Although Rayappa (Srikanth) sides with Devera, he is soon blackmailed by Bhaira and Kunjara. What happens between Devara and Bhaira and how does their rivalry unfold forms the rest of the story.

Director Koratala Siva is coming back after a box office dud, Acharya, and he has pinned all his hopes on Devara. And, we know why as soon as we enter into the world of Devara. It's grand, visually stunning and has a strong emotion - fear - at its core. The film revolves around fear. Devara is fearless, while his son, Vara, is fearful. The world of Devara deals with contrasting emotions. While, on paper, they make for an interesting plot, Koratala Siva stuck to a predictable story, which doesn't let viewers soak in the emotional moments.

Devara: Part 1 has a lot going on in its long runtime of two hours and 57 minutes. It shows Errasamudram and its people (belonging to four villages), who consider weapons as God. We get a backstory, which progresses into the relationship and rivalry between Devara and Bhaira. When Devara goes into exile, we get young Vara and his fearful attitude. That's not it!

We are presented with a boring and one-sided romantic track between Thangam (Janhvi Kapoor) and Vara. From Vara's hidden motive to the epic clash in the climax, the film tries to pack too much into the story instead of focusing on selected high points. Too much, isn't it? We do get a bunch of mass moments featuring Devara and Vara, which guarantees loud cheers and applause. However, it is the emotional quotient of the film that fails to hold your attention.

Visually, Devara is stunning, thanks to cinematographer Rathnavel.The carefully chosen blue and red tones effectively convey the characters' moods and emotions. Another strong asset of Devara is the performance of Jr NTR. Playing both father and son, Jr NTR stands tall in the world of Devara. Saif Ali Khan also matches Jr NTR's presence, delivering a convincing portrayal as the brutal villain.

Janhvi Kapoor, however, has just a cameo in Devara. Her character hardly adds any value to Devara. Hopefully, she gets to prove her mettle in the second part. The supporting characters, including Prakash Raj, Ajay and Murali Sharma, among others, deliver their bests. Composer Anirudh Ravichander's background music elevates certain theatrical moments, but the songs act as speedbreakers in the film.