A hero’s true strength can only be understood when he is pitted against a worthy opponent. So, when you have an all-powerful superhero, it’s not easy to find a rival who will match him, strike for strike, blow for blow. That’s the dilemma Ayan Mukerji found himself in as he helmed Brahmastra: Part One —Shiva, which sees Ranbir Kapoor’s character Shiva having the superpower of being able to harness fire. mid-day has learnt that to deliver a fitting face-off in the final minutes of his ambitious film, Mukerji shot three separate climaxes with the leading man. One of them interestingly saw Kapoor take on Hrithik Roshan’s antagonist character, while the other two had him lock horns with other actors. So, which one has made it to the theatrical cut?

Mukerji had a special screening on Monday with leads Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and the film’s crew to zero in on the climax of their choice. A source reveals, “One of the reasons that the film has a high budget is because three endings were shot. While Mouni Roy and Saurav Gurjar play the key antagonists in search of the Brahmastra in the first part, Hrithik apparently has a fascinating cameo in the climax that impacts the narrative. Ayan shot a distinct portion with him, which shows his relationship with the Brahmastra — which is considered the most powerful astra of all. On Monday, the team saw their labour of love, complete with the three distinct endings. The team unanimously chose one for the final cut that is now making its way to the theatres.”  

It is heard that the filmmaker has smartly chosen the ending that seamlessly paves the way for the second instalment of the trilogy. The source elaborates, “In his journey of discovering his superpower, Ranbir’s character unknowingly creates a new antagonist whose story will be taken further. The climax depicts that wonderfully, in a stunning sequence that sees a fight between the good and evil, the mortals and the immortals as they lay their claim on the astra. Heightened by special effects, it has turned out to be one of the grandest sequences in the film.”

Besides Roshan, the film has a much-awaited cameo by Shah Rukh Khan. His character, too, is believed to play a crucial role in Shiva’s journey. mid-day reached out to the producers and Mukerji regarding the different climaxes, but they remained unavailable for comment.