Is 'Brahmastra' Ranbir Kapoor's biggest film? Initial reviews divide critics

Following a special screening for the Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Brahmastra on Thursday, the film finally hit cinemas across the country on September 9, 2022. The special screening was attended by the star couple, Alia's sister Shaheen Bhatt, her father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and director Ayan Mukerji among others.

Bollywood celebrities including Shanaya Kapoor and Randeep Hooda were also in attendance. While love for the highly-anticipated project started to pour in on the day of the special screening, Brahmastra’s official release on Friday saw fans rushing to social media to give their verdict. And oh boy, were they impressed!

One social media user tweeted, “Ayan Mukerji's film has created landmark moments in Indian cinema. It manages to bring you into a different world through its magnificent visuals. The plot engages you right from the get-go to a surprising climax".

Another posted, "Ali and Ranbir shared terrific chemistry in the film. The supporting cast was outstanding too. The cinematography and VFX work, while the storyline is decent and the screenplay racy.” Others called it a “must-watch.”

A tweet read, “Brahmastra is a visual classic from start to end. Kudos to Ayan’s conviction. Ranbir is a show-stealer, along with Alia. So many twists in the film. The best of the lot was Amitabh [Bachchan]. He shined in his role above all! I am waiting for part two.”

Many fans felt that Ayan utilised every actor in the best way. “For example, Nagarjuna’s character is very good and not a filler to make the film star-studded,” a tweep weighed in. “Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo appearance made sense too.”

Actor Pooja Bhatt tweeted praise for her sister Alia's film, writing, “Brahmastra is an absolutely exhilarating experience! Magical, moving and dazzling to the eye and the spirit! Haven’t seen effects of this scale and calibre in an Indian film to date. Raised the bar in every which way. Kudos and salutations to the entire team.” Following the film’s special screening, Ranbir’s mother Neetu Kapoor was recorded telling Ayan, “The ending is gripping and outstanding but initially it takes time to build. But once the film takes off… it is super!”

Some film trade experts, however, were not impressed. Taran Adarsh posted on the micro-blogging site, “One Word Review for Brahmāstra: Disappointing,” while giving the movie a two-star rating. “Brahmastra is a king-sized disappointment. High on VFX, low on content. The second half nosedives. Brahmastra could’ve been a game changer, but, alas, it’s a missed opportunity. All gloss, no soul," he added. Trade analyst Atul Mohan tweeted, “Brahmastra misses the target. They had all the Astras (money, star cast, VFX) to make this a great cinematic experience.”

As per a previous report by Bollywood Hungama, Brahmastra is the costliest Hindi film that has ever been made. The film has reportedly been made on a budget of INR4.1 billion. Previously, Thugs of Hindustan was the most expensive film made in Indian cinema.

Taran previously told The Indian Express, “Brahmastra is a very significant film. As we know the last few weeks have been terrible for the Hindi film industry. We have had disaster after disaster. The sad part was that the films were not picking up at all. Shows were being cancelled and this was happening for big star cast films. But the advance booking of Brahmastra has brought in some cheer and a ray of hope. Hopefully, things will improve starting with this film.”

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