Photo Courtesy of Dharma Productions and Starlight Pictures
RABBIA MOLAI
managing editor
rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu
Karan Johar is known for creating magic on the big screen, so the pressure was on when it was announced that his new project, Brahmastra, had been in the works for seven years.
Brahmastra was announced to be a series with its first installment, Shiva, released in theaters on Sept. 9. The leading couple in the film is real-life husband and wife Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, which if you were not aware of their off-screen relationship you couldn’t tell on screen.
For some reason, Bhatt and Kapoor’s characters, Isha and Shiva, had the most awkward nonchemistry in Bollywood history. For two such experienced actors, it was so disappointing to see their on-screen interactions, especially considering their off-screen relationship. How is it that these two can have amazing chemistry with other people and yet not have it with each other?
Considering Batt and Kapoor’s close relationship with not only Johar but also the rest of the production team, it has been heavily implied they had input in the script and other aspects of the film, which unfortunately did not work out in their favor.
This movie was nearly three hours long, yet the dialogue was so dry you would assume it was a 10-hour marathon. From Shiva’s gloriously cringy line, “I like you, Isha,” to the graphics resembling a horribly done avatar knockoff, the whole production was a major flop.
The only saving grace for this movie was the soundtrack. When the big hit song “Kesariya” was announced on Instagram, the fanfare was astronomical. It is definitely one for the history books. From the instrumentals to the lyrics, it’s a classic Karan Johar love song.
If only the same amount of thought could have been put into the movie itself. I mean, at some point you have to sit back and admit you have reached the height of laziness, especially when dealing with a cast full of so many A-list guest appearances. At the very least, they could have had the courtesy to give their characters names.
Along with the lack of effort in the dialogue and characters, the special effects gave the whole production a very cheesy feeling. This is especially concerning because the series is supposed to be depicting religious events, which should have been handled delicately and instead came off as cringy.
Overall, the audience deserved better. If they go through with the rest of the series, let’s just hope it gets better because it sure as hell couldn’t get worse.
