Brahmastra - The epic and the sound behind it | VoicesBazaar
Have you watched #Brahmastra yet? Here's what we at VoicesBazaar thought about it.
Brahmastra was one of the biggest bets in Hindi cinema. Director Ayan Mukerji spent around a decade on it, blending science fiction with Hindu mythology, on a budget reported at about ₹410 crore.
Most reviews talked about the visual effects. We want to talk about the other half: the sound.
The Scale of the Film
Even by Dharma Productions standards, Brahmastra is huge: giant sets, a mythic story and visual effects that set a new bar for Indian cinema. Fire bending in Shiva's hands and the clash of astras are made for a big screen.
But spectacle on screen only works if the sound makes it feel real.
The Music of Brahmastra
Pritam and his team composed the songs, sung by Arijit Singh. "Kesariya" and "Deva Deva" became two of the most played songs of the year. They gave a fantasy film an emotional centre audiences could hold on to.
The original score was built by Pritam with a team that included orchestral composer Tanuj Tiku, Prasad Sashte, Jim Satya, Meghdeep Bose, Ketan Sodha, Sunny M.R. and the percussionist Taufiq Qureshi. Orchestral scale and Indian percussion together gave the film its mythic sound.
The Sound Design Behind the Effects
Sound design was led by Biswadeep Chatterjee and his team. Every burst of fire, every weapon and every surge of power has a sound built for it.
Without that work, the visual effects would look impressive and feel weightless. With it, the audience believes what they see. Sound design is what turns watching into being inside the story.
What Brand Films Can Learn From Brahmastra
You do not need a ₹410 crore budget to learn from Brahmastra.
- Sound builds the world. A film feels real when it sounds real, whether it is a fantasy epic or a 30 second product film.
- Music gives the feeling. The songs people remember are the ones that carry emotion, not the ones that fill silence.
- Plan audio early. Brahmastra's sound was designed alongside the visuals, not added at the end.
Read more on why audio is half of every film.
The Final Word
Brahmastra is a visual treat, but it is a sonic one too. Few reviews said so. Watch it again with your eyes closed for a minute, and you will hear why it works.
Planning a film that needs to sound as big as it looks? Talk to us about sound design and mixing. Start a project.
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