MIRAI Film Review .... Veda’s Triumph over Black Sword : A Tale of Scriptures, Swords, and Sidekicks by Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

 MIRAI Film Review 

Veda’s Triumph over Black Sword

A Tale of Scriptures, Swords, and Sidekicks

by Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The story of the Fantasy Action-Adventure Film MIRAI, starring Teja Sajja, Manchu Manoj, Ritika Nayak, Shriya Saran, Jagapathi Babu etc. produced by Kolli Sujit Kumar and directed by Gattamneni Karthik, revolves around Black Sword, a ruthless seeker of immortality. To achieve Godly Hood, he hunts down the ‘Nine Sacred Ancient Scriptures’ in which divine secrets of immortality were supposed to be hidden, and were written by Emperor Ashoka after the Kalinga War Massacre, to prevent future destruction. Inference could be anyone’s guess!!! The Film was released on September 12, 2025, two days before we could procure a ticket. 

The primary meaning of Mirai in Japanese is ‘Future’ signifying a forward-looking perspective and symbolizing hope and progress. Mirai can also mean Miracle or ‘Lady of the Moon’ in Turkish, depending on its linguistic origin. However, ‘Miray’ a close word to ‘Mirai’ is a Turkish Feminine name combining the ‘Persian Root Mir’ (Leader) with the Turkish word ‘Ay’ (Moon), resulting in a meaning of ‘Leader who shines like the Moon’ or ‘Bright Leader’ and it can also be poetically interpreted as ‘Moonlight, Wonderful Moon or Admired Moon’ that conveys qualities of light, leadership, beauty, and celestial wonder. Establishing forward and backward linkages between these words may be bit difficult. Nonetheless, we felt that, we were watching a technology based ‘Vithal Acharya’ film of yester years.

The story starts with a scene of end of Kalinga War, Emperor Ashok’s renunciation (with no reference to adopting Buddhism) after realizing that his victory was due to his divine powers, transferring those powers in to Scriptures, each with its own importance. Ashoka gave them to nine Yodhas, who were the centuries-old lineage of individuals tasked with safeguarding them. ‘Ambika’ one of these guardians, was responsible for the ninth book, the most important. What purpose the idea served is conspicuously and explicitly missing.

What contemporary history recorded was that, the Kalinga War took place around 261 BCE between Emperor Ashoka and the kingdom of Kalinga (modern-day Odisha), that resulted in an estimated 250000 deaths and widespread devastation, profoundly influencing Ashoka to abandon military conquest, convert to Buddhism, and promote peace and ethical conduct. This led to the spread of Buddhism. There is no mention to Scriptures even implicitly. Mirai being a Fantasy Film, little bit of Chicory for taste to Coffee Powder, was mixed, but watching the film, the smell of Chicory Flavor was more than Coffee Powder.

The first scene shown was Ambika Ashram, with Shriya Saran who plays the character of Pregnant Ambika, in a praying posture, obviously visualizing an undesirable happening in the near future. Ambika who can see the future, has a prophetic dream that Mahabir Lama, aka the Black Sword, a powerful wizard, will try to seize all the Nine Scriptures to become unbeatable and which would eventually lead to the world's doom. Informing the Ashram Manager of the premonition of the world's destruction, she sends pigeon messages to warn the guardians of the other scriptures.

Despite her advanced ‘Heavenly Pregnancy’ Ambika decides to travel to Mountain Kailash to meet the Immortal Sage Agastya and seek his help in protecting the Ninth Vital Scripture, the ‘Amara Grandha’ that holds the remaining power of Emperor Ashoka. After meeting Agastya, the next step of Ambika was unclear. Agastya in the later part of the film, becomes an ally in central character Veda’s cosmic battle against the forces of evil. His wisdom was crucial to Veda’s Mission. Teja Sajja, played this key role extraordinarily well in the film. The character's name though a reference to the ancient scriptures, it appears like presented as a modern take.   

Ambika, who foresaw the future, sacrifices her life to ensure her newborn son would one day rise to stop Mahabir and to protect him and the future from a dark force. She confirms that her son Veda grows away from her and is toughened up by circumstances so that he can fight Mahabir someday. Twenty-four years later, the Monk Vibha (Ritika Nayak) arrives in Hyderabad in search of Veda, and guide him on his destiny to become a savior. By then Veda was a carefree young man who survives by cheating people.

Steadily Veda discovers his true identity as a destined savior to confront Mahabir to protect the world. Eventually, he with divine support triumphs but not before few hiccups. Interestingly Veda guided by Vibha, learns to perform a very specific hand-gesture, of joining the fingers of both hands together, and placing them against his forehead, more than once. His mother Ambika was also shown with the same posture earlier. This act ostensibly cannot be casual, and could be an act of remembrance and awakening, almost like tapping into the ‘Amara Grandha, the sacred ninth scripture within.’ This gesture is a deliberate motif for dramatizing Veda’s realization of his true identity and inherited duty. Well directed scene indeed!

Meanwhile Mahabir Lama (Manchu Manoj), the Black Sword, who was born out of tragedy and polished by betrayal enters the scene. As an orphan he was trained in Tantra by Angama Bali (Jagapathi Babu). He was however denied the Scripture that he craved, which went to his guru’s son. With resentment, rage, and a lifelong vendetta, assisted by a trusty Nepali girl, who ghastly killed her guru, butchered Ambika’s Ashram Manager, and set the whole place ablaze, Mahabir collected ‘Eight out of Nine Scriptures.’ In contrast, Veda too an orphaned street rogue, but as destined and perfectly guided by Sadhwi Vibha, treaded to the Himalayas, met the mythological bird Sampathi, and procured a sacred stick, a weapon waiting to be awakened. Teaming up with sage Agasthya, Veda started piecing together the prophecy his mother Ambika had died to protect.

Meanwhile, a squad of police officers kept stumbling in like stand-up comics. But irony has a sense of timing: their accidental interventions and misplaced bravado ended up in helping Veda, dovetailing into the main story. The train episode, where chaos became choreography, blending humor with suspense until the tracks themselves seemed to carry prophecy. In the final act Hero Veda as expected (Vithal Acharya Film Style) confronted Villain Mahabir Lama, the Black Sword. Despite Mahabir possessing ‘Eight Scriptures’ and a scorched-earth philosophy, a destructive strategy; Veda who had only the Ninth Amara Grandha, and the realization that responsibility sometimes weighs more than any sword, was triumphant.

In an era where glamour often overshadows substance, Mirai refreshingly flips the script, thanks largely to its spot-on casting. Shriya Saran as Ambika brings quiet authority and emotional depth to a role that demands purpose over style, her intensity and expressive nuance giving weight without ever drifting into over-the-top dramatics. Ritika Nayak, as Vibha, offers a grounding performance filled with serenity and charm, her natural expressions making the character feel both spiritual and accessible.

Teja Sajja as Veda moves seamlessly from street-smart orphan to destiny-driven hero, carrying the physical, emotional, and mythic weight of the role with surprising ease. Manchu Manoj as Mahabir Lama, the Black Sword, is pure menace, brooding and violent in a way that makes every appearance impactful.

The credit, however, must go to director Karthik Gattamneni, whose casting instincts were pitch perfect: Ambika and Vibha were never designed as glamour distractions but as audience-friendly figures anchored in realism, giving Mirai its rare mix of fantasy spectacle and emotional sincerity.

Then what is the takeaway. Betray an orphan and you may create a villain. Guide an orphan and you may find a savior. Mahabir’s life became a cautionary tale in how bitterness breeds destruction, while Veda’s curve, mudras at the forehead, sacred journeys, comic detours and all, proved that destiny favors those who accept responsibility, not those who hoard power.