A mid a woeful 2022 so far, this almost feels like Hindi mainstream cinema’s last roll of the dice, and a return to storytelling first principles. A mythologically inclined franchise-starter modelled on Marvel Cinematic Universe’s money-printing early phases, Brahmastra is backed by uber-producer Karan Johar, directed by crowdpleaser Ayan Mukerji (2013’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) and staffed by front-rank faces. Whether it can reunite never-more-divided audiences remains to be seen, but it’s far from the worst idea Mumbai has had, exhibiting appreciable degrees of craft, care and skill.
As is often the case in Bollywood, megastar Shah Rukh Khan sets the bar, turning somersaults in a housecoat and striking the right note of elastic levity in the prologue – albeit as the kind of franchise martyr fated to go no further than the prologue. Thereafter, the torch of righteousness passes to pin-up Ranbir Kapoor as EDM-blasting DJ Shiva, clueless modern scion of a long-secret society, obliged to save the world from Mouni Roy’s old-school villainess – while solving the mysteries of his lineage and wooing rich girl Isha (Alia Bhatt).