In the run-up to the release of his pan-India movie "Brahmastra: Part One Shiva", Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor on Wednesday said he hopes the story resonates with a global audience.
In filmmaker Ayan Mukerji's upcoming ambitious fantasy adventure, Kapoor plays the lead role of Shiva and stars alongside veterans such as Amitabh Bachchan and Nagarjuna.
Described as a blend of ancient Indian culture and spirituality in the contemporary world, "Brahmastra: Part One Shiva" is scheduled to be released worldwide on September 9.
"Of course you feel excited and nervous when a film comes out, especially a film of this nature. It is something we really gave our lives to. So there is more pressure. But I also believe the audience is king and nobody can question them," Kapoor said at the film's promotional event here.
Also starring Alia Bhatt and Mouni Roy, the Dharma Productions movie will be presented in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam by "RRR" director SS Rajamouli.
Kapoor said having someone like Rajamouli, who has gained global recognition with his recent period epic "RRR", support their project is a great honour.
"It's a privilege to have Rajamouli sir with us, a director we all love."
But nothing can substitute good content, the actor added.
"What makes a film global is the content. We have lots of people supporting us. Rajamouli sir is releasing the film in four south Indian languages. We believe we have made a good film and hope audiences like the content," he said.
For Rajamouli, it was Mukerji's passion for the story that motivated him to board the project.
"I would like to associate with anything which has so much passion in it... We have a person who gave 10 years of his life to a film... When he (Mukerji) came to meet me, I could see the love he has for this film and cinema in general."
The other reason, the filmmaker said, which prompted him to present the film in the south was promoting cultural exchange and acceptance. The filmmaker said he also saw presenting the movie in the south as an opportunity to promote cultural exchange and acceptance.
"We can be proud of our language, our culture, but at the same time we should have a big heart to accept other cultures and languages. As a south Indian, I'm proud of my mother tongue Telugu. I'm proud of the fact that I learned my craft in Tamil Nadu.
"I'm proud I was born in Karnataka. So when north India accepts our films, I would like all of us in the south to see films from the north," Rajamouli added.
According to Kapoor, the film is deeply rooted in Indian culture and value system, something that has been overlooked by filmmakers for long.
"There are so many stories in our culture, which are rich in content, entertainment, characters and value system. It was surprising that all those have not been explored by us in cinema," he said.
In recent years people in the creative field have started exploring stories rooted in Indian culture, observed Rajamouli.
"For many years the entire country and we ,as a part of the creative field, also didn't see our stories. Recently, we have realised we have so many stories and started to look at them," he said.
The event was also attended by Nagarjuna, who plays a pivotal role in the movie. The veteran actor said he was bowled over by the concept of the film and his character arc.
"I decided to do this film because I was very inspired by the role they had given me," he said.
Nagarjuna said he enjoys watching big-scale entertainers and after "Brahmastra..." would love to star in more such movies.
"I would definitely like to star in a big-scale movie and hope Rajamouli sir makes one with me," he quipped.
"It has been one of the few things which I have not done. I've grown up on these films and if somebody gives me a part I would love to do it," the actor added.
"Brahmastra" part one will mark the beginning of a new original cinematic universe -- the Astraverse. It is produced by Fox Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Prime Focus and Starlight Pictures.
