If you consider yourself a Brahmastra expert, you’re about to kick yourself and wonder why you never noticed these key elements about Alia Bhatt’s role in the film before. Many viewers, who watched the Ayan Mukerji film after its release on September 9, noticed a few details that suggest Alia’s role in the movie was not limited to Ranbir Kapoor’s love interest; in fact she had a ‘game plan’ of her own. Alia plays Isha in Brahmastra, which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna, draws inspiration from stories in Hindu mythology. Also read: Brahmastra was the No.1 film in the world this weekend, earned ₹212 crore
Following Brahmastra’s release in Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages, fans took to social media and shared theories about Alia’s Isha. Some of the fan theories hint that Ayan hid Isha’s true intentions in Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, the first instalment of a planned trilogy.
On Sunday, a fan took to Twitter and in series of tweets explained how Alia Bhatt’s character in the film was ‘the biggest mystery of Brahmastra’. His tweet read, “Who is she (Isha), her one touch activated Shiva’s (Ranbir’s) fire powers to this extreme that he started getting those flashes and visions, when she touches him as she hands him the flower at pandal (in an easy to miss scene).”
In another tweet, he wrote, “And that smile in front of Goddess Kali in that pandal but the immediate change in expression as she turns around. Alia is too good of an actress and Ayan is too strict/detail freak of a director to have just casually allowed that.”
In another tweet, he shared the ‘other crazy part’ as he tried to explain why he thinks Isha has her own ‘game plan’. He wrote, “When Tenzin dies, the Pawanastra (air Astra) gets left behind, guess who picks it up as Brahmastra activates? It is Isha. There is a lot to wrap up around with this character, who I think clearly has her own game plan.”
The fan also spoke of a scene involving Isha and Anish, Nagarjuna’s character in Brahmastra, as he tried to link Alia’s character to Jalastra (water Astra). He tweeted, “Also Anish, he does not hand that Brahmastra piece to Shiva, watch again, he specifically gives it to Isha. She has a game plan, that is not yet revealed. And the first time we see her, that bracelet on her is placed exact same way the Jalastra is placed in that stone or in art.” He said all these easily overlooked scenes were intentionally put out to be questioned.
Some fans also pointed out that Shiva sees flashes of Junoon (the antagonist, played by Mouni Roy) and gang, Mohan (Shah Rukh Khan‘s character in the film) and Anish, while he also sees Isha in his visions. A tweet read, “Junoon , Mohan and Anish are all connected to Agniastra (fire Astra) or Brahmansh (a secret, ancient order dating back hundreds of years), so how is he (Shiva) able to see Isha in his vision; who the hell is she?” Another tweet insinuated that Isha was no commoner, it read, “So Isha has the ability to activate a dormant astra (Shiva’s). Guess what else is dormant in this whole story, yes that stone figure.” Another fan said, Isha was the ‘main player’ behind Dev trying to ‘combine the soulless filled with anger and rage stone with Shiva, who is all love’.
Brahmastra has earned $26.5 million ( ₹212 crore) worldwide in its first three days, making it the number one film globally this weekend. The fantasy epic has earned ₹120 crore at the Indian box office over its opening weekend, one of the highest ever for a Hindi film. The film has done particularly well in the south territories, breaking the single-day earnings record for a Hindi film in Tamil Nadu and earning close to ₹20 crore in AP and Telangana.