So it’s unsurprising that, while Bhatt and Kapoor have some chemistry, their characters’ romance never seems to matter beyond paying constant lip service to the power of wuv. Big B has been passing the proverbial baton to the next generation of Bollywood stars for a few years now, but very few of his successors have successfully broken out of their cookie-cutter star roles. Still, it’s telling that Bachchan doesn’t get to do much in “Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva” despite his venerable token role. How ‘India Sweets and Spices’ Filmmaker Geeta Malik Walked the Fine Line Between Satire and Stereotype 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 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. The fate of the world depends on Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor), a happy-go-lucky DJ who can sometimes manipulate fire with his mind. Now, in modern-day Mumbai, 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. (Diwali is “a festival of light,” as a newspaper headline boldly declares within the movie)Ī 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. Released about a month and a 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. ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ Film Review: Indian ‘Forrest Gump’ Remake Burdened With the Original’s Flaws
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