The Jaani Dushman of today’s age is Brahmastra. Bollywood hasn’t recently offered something so bizarre

Everyone cried out at the phrase “Love Storiyan” in the Kesariya of Brahmastra. After seeing the movie, one can only conclude that the words no longer seem out of place. In actuality, it’s the movie’s most common feature.

Was Brahmastra, Ayan Mukerji’s film, produced seriously? Perhaps this was all just a fever dream, and the actual movie, which took over a decade to make and cost Rs 400 crore, would be very different and not feel like it was created for a Koffee with Karan acting segment. Compared to Brahmastra, Varun Dhawan’s Marathi tirade against Arjun Kapoor during his KwK debut in Season 5 seemed more like a movie.

Brahmastra, a jumbled offspring of the Marvel universe and the Harry Potter series, actually did exist. You are split between disbelief, unable to believe that a movie like this was created, and being wildly amused by how awful it is, practically leading to an existential crisis. Numerous 90s classics suddenly seem insignificant in the face of it because of how gloriously horrible it is. One cannot help but feel as though they witnessed a spiritual sequel to Jaani Dushman after leaving the theatre. Ah, for the glory of horror, those were the times when you might notice a skeleton dancing about in a wedding lehenga.

Now, it doesn’t feel quite as exciting when Saif Ali Khan and Kajol take on a story of reincarnation in Hameshaa or when Madhuri Dixit scales a window and jumps into a pond in Khilaaf to be with Chunky Pandey. Or even Bobby Deol acting erratically on the runway at the airport to prevent Aishwarya Rai from leaving the nation. That was truly the ludicrous delight of these classic Bollywood movies—you could watch them, laugh at everything, and be thrilled the entire time. These flamboyant and gaudy features persisted in the 1980s and 1990s, and despite all the advancement, the 2000s also gave us some truly awful movies that were impossible to sit through.

There isn’t much to say about Ranbir Kapoor’s selections in this situation because, despite his reputation, he has appeared in production similar to Besharam. Shah Rukh Khan, who is bleeding and murmurs about burning “paayals,” hears Mouni Roy shouting, “Scientist saab,” multiple times. Mouni Roy played a character that resembled a cross between a Balaji Scarlet Witch and Naagin. By the way, he’s a scientist who resides in a palace. It must be noted that only SRK could deliver such awkward conversations with style.