Ahead of the release of the Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra, the director Ayan Mukerji explains the concept of Astra and why he chose the film. While explaining his vision behind creating an ‘astraverse’ for his story, he essentially means a universe of ancient Indian weapons or Astra. The fantasy epic introduces viewers to a brand-new domestic superhero and draws inspiration from Indian mythology.
These ‘astras’, or weapons, are established on the elements — earth, wind, fire, water, and can also control the power of animals such as monkeys and bulls. But there is one ‘astra’ that is more powerful than them all, the ‘brahmastra’. The film ‘starts with an image’ of a group of scholars, meditating in the mountains, harnessing the ‘Brahm shakti’. As a "secret society," these sages—who go by the name Brahmansh—have been hidden throughout history, assisting mankind as it advances and develops.
After this, he describes the character of Ranbir Kapoor, that he is unaware of the fact that he himself is an Astra. Furthermore, he explained why he gave Ranbir the name Shiva. The reason why Lord Shiva, whom Ayan defines as "the God who is most dear to (him) personally, the most mystical, the all-powerful, and (his) greatest inspiration," is called Shiva is explained by Ayan at the end of the film.
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“While Brahmāstra is a work of fiction, my attempt has been to celebrate Indian spirituality, in my own way, through this movie,” Ayan wrote in an Instagram post. He added, “On this very auspicious day of Guru Purnima, I wanted to share a little more in depth about the the concept of Brahmāstra – a movie through which I personally found myself transforming into a forever-student of the infinite wisdom that exists in our ancient Indian roots… Hope you guys enjoy our imagination!”
Here’s the video, in which Ayan Mukerji explains his vision in detail:
Now, coming to the details of the film, Brahmastra is scheduled for release in September. Along with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, the upcoming Sci-Fi also features Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Mouni Roy, and others. In an effort to break into the South Indian markets, the film will also be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam by none other than SS Rajamouli.