A surprising and enjoyable Disney+ offering

Recently, I was flipping through Disney+ looking for something interesting to watch. I (as some might remember from Shadow Pack Squares, at least) am absolutely enamored with foreign films. 

Brahmāstra stood out to me immediately, and within the first few minutes of watching, I was invested. There’s a bit of historical context at the beginning to catch you up on the lore of the universe, which is fantastic if you happen to love lore. No spoilers, but certain parts are actually easy to call out if you have even a minimal understanding of Hindi mythology. 

Also a treat for me was seeing Shah Rukh Khan, an actor I recognized from other films, such as Ra One, where he plays along side one of my personal crushes, Kareena Kapoor (be honest, how many times have you heard me say that one? for some, probably close to a dozen.) 

Anyway, as the full title (Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, for the record.) implies, it’s part one. It looks that it might be a trilogy from what I could find, but regardless, also as the title suggests, it centers around a man named Shiva, who is a DJ, at a festival, falling head over heels for a girl named Isha. Seems like it can’t be all that rave worthy right? 

Well, Shiva gets visions, and that’s what makes the plot interesting. I won’t say too much here about the plot, but hopefully enough to get you, dear reader, interested. 

Anyway, as you might find in any synopsis of this movie, Shiva is not just a DJ, but an orphan, which has a surprising amount to do with the plot. For reasons I won’t specify, he ends up being pursued by people trying to kill him and Isha, and end up far from the city they begin in, meeting people with super powerful gifts, who push them further on the path, pitting themselves against evil forces, and meeting new, equally powerful allies that will grab your attention. 

Now for some, perhaps the effects are over the top, but I can say I was quite taken with just how colorful and impactful it is, and I found it quite easy to be engrossed in the narrative. The characters were interesting and I found myself talking to the movie at some points, cheering them on, or concerned during other points. 

While some of the soundtrack is a little on the poppy side of things, the music fits well and doesn’t distract or detract from the story at all, though there is a dance number that sticks out some, overall I found it quite a good accompaniment to the story. 

The characters, I feel like I liked who I was supposed to and didn’t like who I wasn’t supposed to like, so in that respect I felt like it keeps your attention without jarring you out of the experience. 

Overall, I can’t think of many people I wouldn’t recommend this movie to, and I’m eagerly awaiting part two, and looking forward to what’s next in the story. If you get the chance, definitely check it out!