Brahmastra is a lot like modern India, says Ayan Mukerji

Ahead of the release of Bollywood's mega-budget fantasy adventure film Brahmastra: Part one Shiva in September, director Ayan Mukerji said he is happy to fulfill a difficult journey after multiple delays including two lockdowns.

The ambitious project has been in development for the past 10 years and is marking the beginning of a new cinematic universe 'The Astraverse'.

The protagonist played by Ranbir Kapoor is a man with supernatural powers and is mentored by Amitabh Bachchan. About working with the veteran actor, Mukerji said Bachchan has always liked the idea of ancient Indian 'astras' (divine weapons) in the modern world. "He told me the concept will work with people".

Ayan Mukerji is known for films like 'Wake up Sid' and 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani'. Brahmastra gave me a chance to mix ancient Indian culture and spirituality with the contemporary world, said the 38-year-old.

He added that Brahmastra made him feel like doing something "pioneering, innovative, and original". When asked about the decade-long investment of time in the movie, the filmmaker said the project in a way erased who he was before. "It has been 10 years since my last film. I have forgotten who I was as a person before. This is one of the longer pregnancies that a director can have with a movie".

Mukerji added that Brahmastra is a meeting place of modern India with a feeling of ancient Indian powers. "That's what our country is like in many ways. We live in a modern world, but Indians are spiritual and close to faith". Growing up loving Indian mythology made me take up the high-risk genre of fantasy adventure in Bollywood, said the filmmaker.

Brahmastra: Part One Shiva is set to release in September, and the trailer will be launched on June 15.