Ayan wanted to reveal Dev in 'Brahmastra': Why he didn't
Brahmastra plot discussion ahead. The day Brahmastra: Part One—Shiva was released, viewers walked out of theaters with one question dominating their minds: Who is Dev? Now, the film's director Ayan Mukerji said he actually wanted to reveal Dev's identity in Brahmastra 1 itself but eventually decided not to do so to keep the audience's flame of curiosity alive. And we can say it worked!
Why does this story matter?
Ayan Mukerji always planned Brahmastra as a full-fledged trilogy with which he aspires to weave India's first cinematic universe—Astraverse. Brahmastra 1's second half gravitated heavily toward the flashback sequences of Dev and Amrita—Shiva's (Ranbir Kapoor) parents—fueling the audience's curiosity about them. The hype about Dev has also triggered numerous theories online about the second part's plot, possible character developments, and narrative twists and turns.
Mukerji wanted to keep the audience's curiosity alive
Recently, speaking to Hindustan Times, Mukerji said, "To be honest, for a long time, we were going to end the film with...the face reveal of Dev's character. It was with a lot of thought and a desire to create some curiosity in the minds of the audiences that we ended the film where we did." Its cliffhanger ending has certainly done the trick!
Dev is Mukerji's 'most exciting' character ever
Mukerji further said the film's team was thinking about Dev even back in 2019 while still shooting for Brahmastra 1. "There was a point at which in the middle of making Part One, we really found the time to start pursuing this whole Dev vision." Calling Dev his "most exciting character," he added, "I hope things align for us in the next three years."
Meanwhile, here's all we know about 'Brahmastra 2'
Brahmastra: Part Two—Dev will be the second part of the planned trilogy and is expected to pick up from where the first part concluded. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone are rumored to be cast as Dev and Amrita in this film. Alia Bhatt and Kapoor will also reprise their roles in the sequel. Mukerji is targeting the December 2025 slot for the sequel's release.
