Brahmāstra: Thoughts and Observations
With a detailed breakdown of the mythology
After witnessing numerous trolls and critics bash the film prior to its release, and people finding similarities between Marvel films in the trailer for Brahmāstra to further its undoing, I decided to watch the film to have my own opinions. I went to the theatre a couple of days ago to watch the film as well as to fulfil a long-standing promise to my dear friend who happens to be a fan of Ranbir Kapoor.
This post contains spoilers for the film as I intend to look at some aspects of the film in-depth and so, have provided a short TL;DR for those who simply want to make up their minds about if they want to watch the film. For those who will read further into it, you may take this as a list of contents.
TL;DR: The film has great VFX, and the script is not as bad as the internet makes it look. A select few characters a given fairly memorable personalities whereas others are quite forgettable. Many scenes may appear to be directly taken from MCU and DCEU films, but that is debatable. Brahmāstra Part One is better executed than many of the recent MCU Phase 4 productions. The amount of research that has been put into reimagining Indian mythology for the film is commendable and this idea of reimagining rather than recreating mythological narratives is indeed a breath of fresh air. (You may skip to the conclusion for the final thoughts.)
So, without further ado, let us begin.
I had been fascinated by the trailer for the film when I had first seen it. A commercial film with a “fresh” concept that is yet to become mainstream in Indian visual media along with great VFX was indeed quite enthralling. I did also appreciate the ambition that the world “trilogy” reflected. The research that went into the making of the film was presented well in the trailer too. But the dialogues, and so the script, I felt would disappoint.
Now, having watched the film, I can agree that all of my expectations were fulfilled and the dialogues were not very bad either. That is, considering what they were going for is somewhat close to a reluctant shonen anime protagonist and a female lead that screams his name whenever they need his powers to work, for the most part. Some of the other characters also have been given characteristics that make them stand out comparatively, such as “Scientist” Mohan Bhargav (Shah Rukh Khan), the wielder of the Vanarāstra, has a lively and teasing personality and a strong will, whereas the “Artist” Anish (Nagarjuna), wielder of the Nandi Astra, has a strong sense of duty. However, the rest of the characters, be it “Guruji” (Amitabh Bachchan), the kids undergoing training as future members of Brahmānsh (guardians of the Brahmāstra), or even the antagonist Junoon (Mouni Roy) and her goons, fall flat and are not very memorable. Even the death of Tenzing, the youngest of the trainees and the wielder of Pavanāstra, seems quite forgettable.
The dialogues might appear to be “cringeworthy” to a lot of viewers, but there are two things that need to be considered. First, as my friend Harsh pointed out in his review, the script is 10 years old and it has not aged very well. But as a film such as this cannot begin without a script, it seems unavoidable. Second, the worst of the “bad” dialogues are mostly limited to conversations involving the lead characters. That is so because the two are supposed to be the “young and dumb” kind. I think, on that ground, the attempt is appreciable, although not flawlessly executed. However, when the romance aspect kicks in, it starts to become progressively worse. Even during the film, the romance feels forced, as if only to show that the “power of love” is the strongest in the universe. It even “wins over” the Brahmāstra.
It is arguable that many of the sequences, and scenes from MCU and DCEU films have been incorporated into the film, as has been the popular public opinion. The case might as well be as it appears, as commercial films have never really been about originality. I happen to have seen worse cases of “taking inspiration” or “paying homage” in commercial Bollywood productions, and I am sure of not being the only one. I also think that this film is better than most productions of Phase 4 of MCU. If you can bear to watch that, this will not be such a disappointment. Also, on that note, the sequence where Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) trains to better control his powers is just too playful and lighthearted and seems to me a missed opportunity. A more serious training sequence and a track like Piyush Mishra’s “Aarambh Hai Prachand” would have worked towards adding a little more adrenaline to the comparatively less action-packed second half, leading to the not-so-climactic final battle.
Coming to the mythology that went into the making of the film and the part that made me write this post, I will say that quite a bit of research went into the making of Part One of the Brahmāstra Trilogy. Although, I also clarify here that these are only my observations, and therefore may or may not have been intended in the film.
The character of Shiva in the film, as I see it, has been modelled after the Dravidian image of Śiva and not the popular version inspired by the version of Śiva from the Aryan pantheon that we are so used to seeing. When we see Shiva on screen, we usually see a lot of red in the palette, be it the background, the VFX, or the outfits. As is popularly suggested, the word “Śiva” comes from the Tamil “Sivappu”, meaning “red,” which literally makes Śiva, and also the character of Shiva here, “the red one”. In Tamil Nadu, Śiva is also referred to as “Sabesan”, short for “Sabayil aadum eesan”, which refers to the Nataraja and translates to “the Lord who dances on the dais.” During the song “Dance ka Bhoot,” we see Shiva dancing on a high platform, which may have been intended for such representation. In Sangam literature, we find a poet by the name of Iraiyanar, whose name translates to “the Lord” and is considered to be an incarnation of Śiva from the temple at Madurai. This might translate into the character of Shiva being a DJ. Also, in the Śiva Purāna, we see Siva’s ability to control fire, and specifically, in Chapter 7 of Vidyeśwara Saṃhita, Śiva presents himself as a column of fire, that is himself becoming fire. This may have had a role in making the character of Shiva the Agni Astra itself.
Now apart from the lead character, we see the other characters like Isha (Alia Bhatt), Scientist and Artist are presented mostly in connection to Shiva as well. When we see the Scientist being tortured by Junoon and her goons, we see Shiva being shown exactly what the scientist sees. Being the wielder of Vānarāstra, he embodies the powers of a Mahā Vānar (clearly, representing Hanuman). This might point toward Hanuman being an avatar of Śiva, as mentioned in the Śatarudra Saṃhita of the Śiva Purāna. In the case of Artist, the wielder of the Nandi Astra, he is seen protecting Shiva twice, taking multiple bullets in the process. Nandi, in many of the puranic stories, is birthed from the Śiva’s being, and hence, Shiva being able to see what Artist sees is thus justifiable in the film. Also, when Shiva and Isha head to Kashi, Artist decides to stop their pursuers in their tracks, sacrificing himself in the process. Nandi or Nandikeswara, the anthropomorphic bull, guards the gates to Kailash Parvat, and here Artist guards the “entrance” to the aashram where Shiva and Isha would reside for the rest of the film, which allows for a parallel to be drawn. Nandi Astra containing the power of a hundred “Nandis” may also point towards the “Pasupata” (Lord of Cattle) form of Śiva, but that may be reading too much between the lines. In my opinion, however, Isha receives the least amount of work put into her character, simply being Shiva’s companion.
In the end, all of these characters tie into the narrative of Shiva, justifying the title of Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva. I would say that the symbolism could be made a little less blatant, but that can hardly be expected from the director. This is all I have been able to find out as of yet, and there may still be more to it than meets the eye. All that said, however, none of the above information does much to drive the plot further. This just being useless information feels like such a waste. I feel so because all of this is a little too meticulously done to be a coincidence.
Overall, the film has an anime-esque feel to it with its VFX and exaggerated characters, rather than that of a superhero film. This film reimagines mythology rather than recreating it. It is interesting to see how mythological beings and cosmic powers are only symbolic here, with their powers being stored in Astras, and also the fact that the powers are not limited to them. This gives rise to a power system that makes these powers useless until wielded. But then, once again, the execution could be better done. Although the film is not as bad as the internet would have you believe, it is still nowhere near perfect. Do keep that in mind when you are going to watch it. A good attempt is all I can call this film.
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