Ayan Mukerji on Brahmastra box office, criticism of dialogues, Alia Bhatt’s character: ‘Astraverse could be all that I do my entire lifetime’

On September 9, when Brahmastra finally hit cinemas after a decade of myth-building, hype, pessimism and pressure, filmmaker Ayan Mukerji felt philosophical. As if he was meant to take this ambitious journey of mounting a never-seen-before spectacle for the Indian audience, armed with two hits behind him, a loyal crew, crushing wait and an incredible vision.
Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva took a flying start at the box office. While the film was lauded for its VFX and scale, Brahmastra was criticised for its writing, dialogues and for reducing Alia Bhatt, one of the finest of this generation, to a mere love interest.

In an interview with , Ayan Mukerji spoke about Brahmastra, the love coming his way, the feedback he is receiving and how he sees himself committed to making movies only in the Astraverse his entire career. Edited excerpts:
Ranbir had joked that it felt like the team was pregnant with Brahmastra all these years, because it was that special a film. How does it feel to finally have a smooth delivery?
I felt relieved when we actually delivered the film, without even the audience watching it, when our last frame, last sound was done, and the film was ready to release in cinemas. The last phase was extremely hard. After having worked so hard over the years like a marathon, the last phase of Brahmastra was a sprint! With the audience coming and watching it, there is definitely a feeling of relief.
How was the Friday for you and the team?
It was very philosophical, because of the magnitude of the journey. For so many years stuff was going on in the film but nobody in the world would have realised that so much was happening in the film. It was all for that moment on Friday, when the film had finally gone. I don’t think there is any word for the feeling. Let’s just call it the Brahmastra feeling. I was emotional, excited, nervous. But at the same time, there was pride, that I had finished my work on the project and walked this journey.
On Friday night, when I came back home after hanging out with my team, I spent two hours thinking of part two’s script. After the last three months, where all I could think of was delivering part one, my mind that night was sticking on part two. I could tell that I was finally in that space, to think about the future.

the time Brahmastra finally released, it ended up as the film the entire industry was banking on to work, because nothing else was working this year. Did you feel that pressure?
When you are in the inside, some of this is not as hard as it might look. The work was so incredibly challenging, I was so focused, it was taking up so many of my resources, that some of the conversation about Brahmastra that you must have had in the last two week, we didn’t. We were too deep in work to focus on the noise outside. Even now when the film is out, I am storing all the feedback and will get back to it in 10 days. I don’t know what exactly is being said, I know the g of it.
How do you look back at its making? This was a film in the works for a longtime, there were memes on its delays, jokes and a genuine worry if this would ever even release because it was taking that long.
I realise what a tremendous amount of my life I have given to this one project. It is a big, strong feeling in my heart, of having survived this. I feel like a survivor of the marathon. I have been a student of cinema, so I walked in the footsteps of those who attempted game-changing project before me. After Titanic, James Cameron spent 12 years between that film and Avatar and has now spent more than 12 years between Avatar and its sequel.
I knew that if I were to attempt make something of high quality visual, with the budget that we have–which is not Avengers budget–, with people who have not made this 100 times before, then let’s be comfortable with the time it’s going to take. I was using the James Cameron model all the time. If he was taking 12 years to create something in the West, which already has a Lord of the Rings, then how can I finish this in the time I took to make Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani?

The franchise also seems likely to go beyond the planned trilogy and have more films in the ‘Astraverse’.
I have committed to the idea that the Astraverse could be all that I do in my entire lifetime. I didn’t approach Brahmastra like just another film in my career, I approached it thinking I am building Apple, the company. I want to build a foundation for a universe of cinema with this film. For the next 15 years, I could (only) be building the Astraverse. That’s what I will do with my life.

There are so many high points in the film. Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo, Nagarjuna’s Nandi sequence, the pre-interval scene and the last 45 minutes of the film. What took the longest to conceptualise and execute?
All were equally hard. The way these sequences take place, Shah Rukh in one place, Nagarjuna in another, even our shoot was one scene at a time. We would understand how to do a sequence, do it, then move on to the next. A motley group of challenges presented themselves in each sequence. Ever sequence had budget issues, some technical stuff that had to get solved, even Dance Ka Bhoot was challenging because we did it right after COVID.

Are you reading fan theories? Fans have already started sharing where they would like part two to head, how they want new characters to be introduced. 
My team is reading it, even Alia and Ranbir are reading it. I need to catch up. My plan is to do it a week from now because right now I am still working. I need to get Rasiya out, then there is box office stuff, dealing with international markets. Before we properly begin work on the sequel, I will sit down and read everything.
One strong criticism that the film is facing is for its weak writing. The dialogues in particular are jarring.
I heard that. Can you tell which parts exactly? Is it overall, throughout the film?
In the track involving Alia and Ranbir, the love story bit. Even the lines Shah Rukh’s character says. 
OK, so mostly it is the love story. Well, I am observing. The feedback from audience, critics is very important to shape what we do in the future. I am learning from everything. But today is Brahmastra’s day six in the world, and it is an extremely new beast in the jungle of films. I am waiting for water to find its level a little bit. The love story was all my desire. To create this idealic love story in the fantasy world.

I thought this would give the film a soul. That the greatest energy comes from within you and the greatest form of energy is when you are in a state of love. It may have sounded better on paper than it came across to certain people. But, when Kesariya came out, for the first 48 hours all we heard was, ‘Oh God why did they do this with love storiyan.’ But the song continued to be a blockbuster, and nobody talks about it today. So, point noted. But India has a diverse audience.
I live in Bandra, Mumbai and sometimes my sensibility can seem far closer to the West than my mother, who lives with me in the same house. But her’s can be different from my elder ser, and her’s can be different to her friend in Dehradun. When Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani released, it wasn’t a critical favourite. We heard a lot of stuff about that one. After a few days, everything settles, people start appreciating a film for what it is rather than everything they hoped it could have been. Points all noted, but wise thing to do is wait till day 30,understand and then take our notes.

Even Alia’s character has been criticised, she seemed to have been under utilised.
It could be people who come in with the baggage of having seen her in Gangubai and other stuff. I have also heard people say something which seems superficial that, ‘Oh Alia looks so pretty in this film.’ That happy, joyful girl in love–simple as it seems–is a part that Alia has not got the opportunity to play.
In some ways, her incredible acting chops has almost become something that some people are seeing as it is getting in the way of fully appreciating her. But again, I am waiting for this (film) to spread far and wide in the country. I still think there will be a lot of acceptance for her, playing this positive, happy girl in the film. But, noted. In part two we will do more with Alia!