When you keep your expectations low, nothing can ever disappoint you. Brahmastra, for me, was proof of the same. I had two choices this weekend; watch Brahmastra or PS-1. I chose the former and honestly, had a great time. With years spent in the making, Brahmastra was one of the most hyped movies of the year. The lead pair Alia and Ranbir’s real-life romantic involvement also added to the excitement (thanks to our obfuscating curiosity curious about stars and their day-to-day affairs for some reason. Their wedding and baby on board in itself did most of the marketing for the film.

It was unlikely of me, someone who dismisses a film based on the majority negative review, to watch Brahmastra. I wanted to see what the hype and discussion were all about. And I have so many thoughts to share with you all.

Yes, the romance is outdated, and the dialogs are cringe. The movie, especially the first half feels like straight out of a children’s fantasy novel. Both Alia and Ranbir, two of the most promising stars of their generation have given their weakest performances yet. Alia, who had a fantastic year ahead as an actor with Gangubai Kathiawadi and Darlings (also her maiden production) ends this year with a role that does not explore her capacity as an actor. Ranbir, whom we have been missing on screens for a long time returns with a heavily mediocre performance. His act is so immature and feels forced most of the time. Alia as Isha, on the other hand, has nothing to offer apart from being Shiva’s “ON” button. Shiva and Isha’s romance is too hard to watch. It happens out of nowhere. Two days since they met and Isha wants to go to the Ashram with Shiva. She tells him how much she trusts him, within just two days of meeting! There was no originality in their love, let alone the lack of chemistry.

Coming to the dialogs (which make us wonder if this is a kids’ movie in the first place), the metaphors and phrases make us dig our faces in our palms.

‘Brahmastra pizza jaisa gol hai’, Brahmastra is round like a pizza! Really?

While Shah Rukh’s 10-minute cameo is heartwarming it also gets a little uncomfortable to hear him say some of the lamest dialogs he ever said on screen. “Tu Haathi Nahi Genda Hai” , You are not an elephant, you are a hippopotamus..?

While the movie boasts about the years invested in VFX and the story, I wonder why the very basic element of the movie, like dialogs, went downhill.

Mouni Roy as Junoon sells as an evil villain, unlike her henchmen, Zor and Raftaar, who are too comical to be taken seriously.

I’m all praise for Brahmastra’s VFX. It may not be the best in general, but definitely the best thing in the movie. It is also the one thing that kept me hooked throughout the film. It is only in the second half that things get better and more interesting, mainly due to the rich VFX. It gets more tolerable and entertaining. The songs are a delight, except “Dance Ka Bhoot”.

While it has its fair share of flaws, Brahmastra gives me hope for a better Bollywood. It hints at the start of something new. From an industry that is currently surviving on remakes and biopics, Brahmastra is an attempt to create something fresh and unique, a new cinematic universe in itself. And that is wonderful. There are two more parts to come and I’m excited about them. I just hope that the makers learn from their mistakes and work on them to create something bigger and better the next time.

Image Courtesy: YouTube