(Updated on June 16)
News that Disney will distribute a major event movie intended to launch a new series of action-fantasy filmmaking is not surprising. But when that movie is a Hindi-language title from India, we sit up and take notice.
Films from India have steadily been playing more and more often in the United States. (We play them often!) Now BRAHMĀSTRA PART ONE: SHIVA — we'll just call it BRAHMĀSTRA for now — is coming to the US, thanks to Disney.
When Can We See Brahmastra?
Disney will release BRAHMASTRA on September 9, exclusively in movie theatres.
Check Out the Amazing Brahmastra Trailer
This trailer is much longer than most — almost three minutes! But that's great, because it has a lot to show us. The effects spectacle is positioned as the launching point for a Hindi-language cinematic universe called the Astraverse.
The Story of Brahmastra
It's difficult to describe in brief, and of course, we haven't seen the movie yet so there are many unknown aspects. The studio says BRAHMASTRA is "inspired by deeply rooted concepts and tales in Indian mythology but set in the modern world, with epic storytelling of fantasy, adventure, good vs evil, love, and hope." Having watched the trailer, we got that sense!
More specifically, BRAHMASTRA is about the Brahmānsh, an ancient and secret society that protects the divine weapons, aka Astra, which were created centuries ago. These weapons aren't merely objects, however. And the most powerful of them, the Brahmāstra, is about to wake up… and it could destroy everything.
This Is Not a Superhero Movie
While BRAHMASTRA has some elements of comic book movies, and is openly looking to create a cinematic universe, don't mistake it for a superhero movie. It's more like a fantasy epic.
Director Ayan Mukerji said as much when he told IANS that "I am not the biggest superhero fan. I would like to say that I am more of a fantasy film fan. And I honestly think ‘Brahmastra’ is not a superhero film. It is not about a guy wearing a costume and necessarily saving people."
The Cast of Brahmastra
BRAHMASTRA stars Ranbir Kapoor as Shiva, a seemingly-normal DJ who realizes he has an unusual connection to fire. He meets Isha, played by Alia Bhatt, who becomes a key part of his story. Amitabh Bachchan plays Guru, and Mouni Roy appears as Junoon, the Queen of Darkness.
Also in the cast are Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dimple Kapadia, Divyendu Sharma, Dhruv Sehgal, Saurav Gurjar, and Shah Rukh Khan.
BRAHMASTRA opens on September 9!
All images courtesy of Disney.