First Look at Brahmastra and its “Astraverse” 

Two months before the release of Brahmastra, upon which countless hopes and prayers are pinned, director Ayan Mukherji would like us to know about the new mythology that his film sets up. While the film has elements inspired by ancient Hindu epics, Brahmastra is set in the present. The film, which is the first part of a trilogy, is the first of its kind, according to Mukherji. "No one has done what we are doing with ancient Indian inspiration in the modern world, ever," Mukherji promised us. 

Here's what we know about the world in which Brahmastra is set.

In the beginning…

A group of sages perform deep meditation in the Himalayas and are rewarded with "the light of the universe", or Brahma Shakti, from which a set of weapons, or astras, emerge. Each one contains elemental or natural energy: jalastra (water), pawanastra (wind), agnyastra (fire), and more. 

Who are the Brahmansh?

The sages who become custodians of these weapons call themselves the Brahmansh and use their powers for the good of the world. Their wisdom and powers are passed down the generations, all the way to the present. From what we've seen in the trailer and this video, when the Brahmansh get together, you get a neon whirlpool as the energy of the astra beams out of each member. 

The astra of the Brahmansh… 

Mukerji tells us a little bit about a number of the astras that will make up the action in Brahmastra and we also get glimpses of the concept art. There's the vanarastra (with the power of a "super monkey"), nandi astra (with the power of a thousand bulls) and the prabhastra (which appears to be wielded by — no, not Prabhas — Amitabh Bachchan's character). There is one weapon, known as the Brahmastra, which carries the essence of all the other astras, making it the most powerful one. Also, Ranbir Kapoor's character, Shiva, is an embodiment of the agnyastra and a tribute to the Hindu god Shiva who is the director's favourite.   

Brahmastra has been six years in the making and is one of the most ambitious films in the commercial Hindi film industry. It's expected to release on September 9.