“Ayan (Mukerji) narrated me the rough idea of Brahmastra when I was 40 years old; today, as the film is about to release, I am 50 years old,” said Dharma Productions’ CEO Apoorva Mehta in Hyderabad at a promotional press conference of what could turn out to be the magnum opus of the filmmaker whom Nagarjuna described as “a little boy”. Karan Johar added tongue-in-cheek, “He’s a boy alright but not so little any longer” and went on to explain that Ayan had given his heart, soul, sweat, blood and tears to his dream film, the first in the Astra Verse trilogy. Incidentally, Ayan was not present at the media conference on 2nd September at Hotel Park Hyatt in Hyderabad as he was busy in Bombay, giving the film the last-minute touches to make it a memorable affair. The film will release all over on 9th September.
The press conference was held in place of the promotional event of the Telugu version which was to be an out-and-out Jr. NTR affair. Fans of the stars of Brahmastra — Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Nagarjuna and Mouni Roy — as well as of S.S. Rajamouli (who is presenting the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam dubbed versions of the film) and, of course, Jr. NTR must’ve been terribly disappointed when the huge event for the promotion of the Telugu version of the costliest Hindi film was cancelled at the last minute due to technical reasons. But the local media as well as members of the press from Bombay and Delhi, who had been flown into Hyderabad for the event, were lucky when an impromptu press conference was arranged within just a couple of hours, in place of the cancelled event on 2nd September. S.S. Rajamouli informed the media that the event had to be called off at the eleventh hour when the police told them that they would not be able to provide the promised security because of a large part of the force being diverted to manage the Ganpati festivities in the city. Those who have attended a Jr. NTR event in Hyderabad would know that conducting such an event without full security cover can prove to be a very risky affair as his fans come in hordes to cheer their idol.
Those who have attended a Jr. NTR event in Hyderabad would know that conducting such an event without full security cover can prove to be a very risky affair as his fans come in hordes to cheer their idol.
Rajamouli explained that since fire does not affect Ranbir Kapoor’s character, Shiva, in the film, they had planned a special fireworks show of the kind never before witnessed, as part of the film’s promotional activity that evening. Not the one to let the cancellation get to the film’s unit members, Rajamouli promised that the same show would now be planned after release of the film to celebrate its success. He also revealed that he had not even heard the script of the film before lending his name to its South dubbed versions because “I was convinced about Ayan’s passion” and “I have tremendous respect for the passion of Karan Johar”.
Rajamouli promised that the same show would now be planned after release of the film to celebrate its success.
Talking of passion, Namit Malhotra of Prime Focus and DNEG, assured the media that his company had done the computer graphics in Brahmastra, which could match the best delivered by his own company to the topmost Hollywood films. Namit should know because his company has so far won six Oscars for visual effects and computer graphics, a record which not even a Hollywood company holds today! Not just that, Namit Malhotra has also turned producer with this big-budget fare, thereby realising his long-cherished dream.
Namit Malhotra of Prime Focus and DNEG, assured the media that his company had done the computer graphics in BRAHMASTRA, which could match the best delivered by his own company to the topmost Hollywood films.
Tarak (Jr. NTR) was charm personified at the press conference. Like a very gracious superstar, he thanked the Brahmastra team for giving him the opportunity to promote the film because “if there’s anyone whose intensity I have admired after Amitabh Bachchan’s, it is that of Ranbir Kapoor”. Rajamouli recalled how, several years back, he was pleasantly surprised to hear Tarak sing a song of Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar while it was being played on TV. “That is proof of how much he admires Ranbir’s work as an actor,” Rajamouli explained. Tarak added that Ranbir’s Rockstar was one of his most favourite films! The RRR hero, who worked with Alia Bhatt in the recent blockbuster film, referred to the Brahmastra heroine as “a very dear friend”.
“If there’s anyone whose intensity I have admired after Amitabh Bachchan’s, it is that of Ranbir Kapoor.”
On his part, Karan Johar later complimented Jr. NTR by referring to him as the embodiment of intensity whom film buffs admired. Karan also revealed that Nagarjuna was the most favourite actor of one and all on the sets of Brahmastra, a compliment which Nag took in his stride with all the humility at his command when he said in jest, “I’m always the favourite… in all my films.” That was not the only time Nag had the media persons in splits. He also evoked laughter when he said, while praising the immensely talented Ranbir and Alia that he knew them since his childhood, and then quickly corrected his genuine slip by saying, “I know both of them since their childhood.” He also expressed joy that two such talented actors had fallen in love, and showered his blessings on them by hoping that the child they were expecting “would be more talented than both of them put together”.
Karan also revealed that Nagarjuna was the most favourite actor of one and all on the sets of BRAHMASTRA.
Mouni Roy said, she considered herself lucky to have had the opportunity of working with such big names. She thanked Karan Johar, Ayan and everyone else associated with the film. Bikram Duggal and K. Madhavan of Disney, which is producing the film jointly with Karan Johar and Namit Malhotra, revealed how happy they were with the association with Rajamouli and with the film. On his part, Karan described them as the “pillars” of the film.
The visibly pregnant Alia Bhatt, who had worn a gharara set with the words ‘Baby On Board’ embossed on the back of her kurta, and the word ‘Love’ embossed all over the pink outfit, thanked Rajamouli for casting her in RRR. She spoke rather fondly of Ayan. Alia sprung a surprise when she sang four lines of the Telugu version of the super-hit Kesariya song from Brahmastra. Her rendition was beautiful. It didn’t come as a surprise that she had memorised the lyrics even though she does not speak Telugu, because just before that, Mouni had revealed that Alia “knew everyone’s lines in the film, she knows the entire film by heart”. After complimenting wife Alia for the wonderful rendition, Ranbir himself went on to surprise the media persons when he thanked them with a fairly long, well-rehearsed and wonderfully memorised speech in Telugu! This made S.S. Rajamouli get up from his seat and give Ranbir a bear hug as the media persons applauded the actor.
This made S.S. Rajamouli get up from his seat and give Ranbir a bear hug as the media persons applauded the actor.
And now, Karan Johar who couldn’t thank S.S. Rajamouli enough last evening, for agreeing to come on board Brahmastra, must be hoping that the film — which has the potential to become a landmark film of Indian cinema — gets the same kind of love which its stars and Jr. NTR got at the press conference in Hyderabad on 2nd September!