The superhero film umbrella has been a colourful one, to say the least. Martin Scorsese wouldn’t, in all probability, mind us saying that. While Hollywood has splurged and raked in the big bucks to maintain its monopoly on the genre, the imagination to mount CGI and action-fuelled epics on screen has been infectious. Closer home, the genre has had its fair share for the last four decades, with every new venture trying to saunter out of the known spaces of Marvel or DC, and establish a superhero that the populace resonated with, and more specifically, did not jeer at. My Kolkata looks back at a few such superhero flicks from India which have stayed in public memory, owing to its brilliance, style or panache or even its outrageously poor performance.
Out of the Park: Box Office Treats
A still from '2.0'
2.0
The 2018 sequel to the Enthiran had already set the buzz for the Rajinikanth starrer sci-fi action since it was announced. Directed by Shankar, the film starred Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson in supporting roles. The epic was mounted on a budget of around Rs 600 crore, bringing revolutionising additions to the foray. Veteran cinematographer Nirav Shah helmed the process of shooting the entire film, natively in 3D, making it the first time ever in Indian cinema. With music by AR Rahman, Rajinikanth in his famed role of Dr. Vaseegaran, andro-humanoid Chitti and Kutti and Akshay Kumar joining the party as the antagonist, 2.0 was an absolute visual feast, with all the factors working to make it one of the highest grossing films in India, and the highest grossing Tamil film of all time.
A still from 'Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva'
Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva:
Probably the most talked about fantasy action flick in the last decade, Brahmastra had people talking for various reasons. With an expansive canvas and Karan Johar producing, Ayan Mukerji had everything in his arsenal to live up to the buzz. Technically and monetarily he did, because it was a resounding success at the box office, running to packed theaters for weeks. The visual effects were top-notch with DNEG working on it, and with Ranbir and Alia on screen, there weren’t a lot of boxes left to be ticked when it came on the monetary front. However, it is hard to forget the dialogues in places and we sincerely hope Ayan and Hussain Dalal go beyond “Tum Kaun Ho” and “Tum Kya Ho” for the upcoming films in the trilogy.
Poster of 'Mr. India'
Mr. India:
If there's one name that has stood the test of time not only in this genre, but Indian cinema at large, it is Mr. India. The Shekar Kapur directorial opened the windows of imagination for generations and set a solid precedent with this genre. Everything about the film has been immortalised. Starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri, Annu Kapoor and the late Satish Kaushik, the film was also the last time Salim-Javed worked together on a script. Originally writing the role of Arun for Amitabh Bachchan, the duo were rejected by him for a number of reasons, following which the duo fell apart. Anil Kapoor made sure this role would define his career alongside the wonderful Sridevi, in what was her first outing with Kapur. However, the sight of Puri as the menacing Mogambo remains common in conversation around the most iconic villainous portrayals till date.
Down In The Dumps: Biggest Flops
Amitabh Bachchan in 'Ajooba'
Ajooba:
Amitabh Bachchan and the 1990s isn’t an understanding anybody would remember fondly. But one that stood out was Ajooba co-directed by Shashi Kapoor, Bachchan’s longtime collaborator and friend and Soviet director Gennadi Vasilyev. The film starred Bachchan as the titular superhero character, and also had Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Shammi Kapoor, Amrish Puri and others. The film was the last production collaboration between the Soviet Union and India. Having a budget of around Rs 80 million, almost unimaginable at that point, the film tanked hard, and has been considered as Bachchan's biggest flop of his career.
Poster of 'Drona'
Drona:
An unlikely place to have a father-son duo on the top of a list, Abhishek Bachchan’s Drona finds itself on the infamous list of biggest big budget films to fall flat. The film was in the news for the money and time spent on VFX and the action sequences for over six months, with over 250 people involved in the crew. The film was termed to be pointless and weak in all the areas, and has been considered as Abhishek’s most disastrous outing till date. The film also starred Priyanka Chopra, Kay Kay Menon and Jaya Bachchan.
The Real Deals
A still from 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero'
Bhavesh Joshi Superhero:
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, and co-written with Anurag Kashyap, the film has Harshavardhan Kapoor, Priyanshu Painyuli, Ahsish Verma and Nishikant Kamat. The film, which was termed a box-office bomb with a weak screenplay, direction and feeble response, eventually had a niche audience taking to the vigilante drama. Eventually, it grew on and was praised for its shady political undertones, its 21st century take on the ‘angry young man’ and music by Amit Trivedi and the performances of the cast. With its layered plot and the message, the film should be one to revisit and reanalyse.
A still from 'Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota'
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota:
The 2018 action comedy flick directed by Vasan Bala stars Abhimanyu Dassani, Radhika Madan, Gulshan Devaiah and Mahesh Manjerekar. The film centres around a man suffering from congenital analgesia, where a person cannot feel pain, who sets out on a streak of vigilantism. Peppered with countless references from films, comics and TV shows, the film stands as a refreshing and teasing cocktail of action, comedy and a rare whimsical charm.
A still from 'Minnal Murali'
Minnal Murali:
As neat as it can possibly get, the 2021 Malayalam film starring Tovino Thomas and directed by Basil Joseph was one of the best films of the year. The coming of age story follows the life of Jaison, a young tailor, who is struck by lighting on Christmas Eve and Shibu, who happens to be struck as well. What follows is a delightful superhero flick which gets the proportions, the indulgence and the refrain absolutely on point. Tovino hits it out of the park in his dual role with Guru Somasundaram being the perfect counter-force in his role as Shibu. Alongside VFX, action sequences and screenplay, the film also manages to involve the viewer emotionally, where everything about the narrative sits easy on the mind and the eyes, leaving behind a sweet aftertaste.
Honourable Mention
Shah Rukh Khan in 'Ra One'
Ra.One:
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the 2011 Shah Rukh Khan hit venture into the world of superhero action is indubitably something that we would go back to even after a decade. Why? Well, it's him, it’s him in a spandex suit, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor and a whole lot of unadulterated fun and action. It had everything to fiddle with the imagination of a teenager who went to the cinema to catch a glimpse of the man in 3D. At the time of its release, Ra.One was the most expensive film to be released. To watch Mumbai's Victoria Terminus crumble into rubble with Shah Rukh stuck to a local train was everything my teenage eye needed when I first saw it. I would still go back to it anyday, beyond the nuances of screenplay and plot holes, just to enjoy the ride that this flick is. The film’s OST was directed by Vishal-Shekar and remains an absolute peach of an album. And what made this more interesting at the point was the peg of the antagonist being more powerful than the protagonist. When in doubt, Shah Rukh it is.
