Brahmāstra: Ayan Mukerji reveals real reason why he changed the title of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt starrer

Filmmaker Ayan Mukerji began work on his passion project back in 2011. He announced it in 2014 with the title ‘Dragon’, but over time he was inspired by new thoughts. Three years later the filmmaker decided to change the title to Brahmāstra , which was officially announced by producer Karan Johar. Ranbir Kapoor ’s character, who is currently winning hearts in theatres, was also initially named Rumi. However, when the film changed to Brahmāstra, the character got a new name too-- Shiva.

In a recent chat with Indian Express, Ayan explained that while researching for his film, his inspiration shifted from Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings to Indian culture and history. He was quoted saying, “I felt that (Indian culture) is actually deeper in me and this will make this project unique and connectable to our country. Also, my connection with Shiv Bhagwaan grew stronger through the making of the film as I understood the beauty and depth in what he stands for.”

Ayan went on to share, “As I was peeling each layer, I understood I need to dig deeper into the well of Indian spirituality. So, early on I realised Dragon is a superficial title. It lacks depth which I thought was there in Brahmastra, so I changed it.” Initially he was writing about modern characters, which is why he went with the title Dragon. Well, Brahmāstra surely has a more appealing ring to it!

Also starring Alia Bhatt as Shiva’s Isha, Amitabh Bachchan as leader of the Brahmānsh, Nagarjuna Akkineni who wields Nandi Astra and Mouni Roy as the antagonist, Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva has emerged as the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022. It is unstoppable and fans are now eagerly waiting for the next two parts in this planned trilogy.