Ra. One to Krrish: When Bollywood tackled the Superhero genre with panache

Bhavesh Joshi Superhero

The 2018 Superhero action-thriller film features Harshvardhan Kapoor in the lead role. The Vikramaditya Motwane-directed film is an interesting take on the superhero genre. The plotline revolves around a man who is determined to do the right thing and challenges anyone who resorts to illegal practices. The hero is keen on establishing justice and undergoes rigorous training to achieve his goal. Though the film was a dud at the box office, you can watch it to witness the interesting storyline on Disney+Hotstar.

A Flying Jatt

A Flying Jatt seemed to be a trial to create a film of a quintessential Indian superhero. Tiger Shroff features as the main lead alongside Jacqueline Fernandes as the female lead. A thriller comedy drama mixed with musical and dance, it is a big Bollywood masala drama. It is about a superhero who is not perfect but is evolving and striving to achieve perfection in his goal of establishing a peaceful and just society. Remo D’Souza’s light-hearted comedy is a fun entertainer and Tiger Shroff suits the part perfectly as he aces his action sequences and brings out the required emotions of the character. The film did not perform well but Remo’s fresh perspective was applauded by the audience. The family entertainer is available on Zee5.

Ra. One

Ra. One might be considered one of Bollywood's most successful superhero ventures. Shah Rukh Khan plays the male lead in a double lead alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan. The film is based on the premise of a villain challenging the hero in a video game and those characters eventually coming into real life. Ra. One was one of the most expensive projects at the time due to the use of high-end technology in the shooting of the film. Its visual effects won the praise of many and it is still remembered for its interesting plotline and fun and peppy songs like Chammak Challo. It is available on Amazon Prime Video and Zee5.

Krrish

Krrish is one the most loved Indian superheroes of all time.The film features Hrithik Roshan in the lead role alongside Priyanka Chopra as the female lead. It is a sequel to the film Koi Mil Gaya which features the story of Rohit, a man who attains superpowers from an alien. Krrish takes the story further and establishes Rohit’s son as a superhero who fights evil scientists and tries to bring back his father. Its sequel Krrish 3 was also a blockbuster hit and also featured Kangana Ranaut in a supporting role and Vivek Oberoi as a super villain. It is available on SonyLiv.

Superman

Indian audiences got their very own desi Superman with this film. It is a loose adaptation of DC comics and gives the iconic superhero an Indian twist.It tells the tale of a small child who is abducted from the dying planet Krypton and brought to Earth. He is taken in by an elderly Indian couple who name him Shekhar. After becoming an adult and discovering his origins and abilities, he makes an effort to counter villains’s wicked schemes. The movie, which was directed by B. Gupta, also stars Issar, Urmila Bhatt, Dharmendra, Sonia Sahni, and Ranjeeta Kaur. The movie, a low-budget interpretation of the red-caped hero, bombed at the box office.

Mr. India

Not typically made under the genre of Superhero films, Mr. India revolves around the story of its titular protagonist, a man who possesses superhuman qualities. Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Amrish Puri played the leading characters, and Shekhar Kapur was the film's director. Anil Kapoor plays a young guy named Arun who discovers a mysterious watch that his father created that enables him to become invisible to the naked eye except when viewed via a red filter. He fights crime and upholds justice with these newly discovered abilities. The supervillain Mogambo kidnaps his loved ones, and it is up to Arun to rescue them. This presents him with his hardest task. Though sequels and remakes were discussed, nothing ever happened. Undoubtedly, we would want to see a modern-day Mr. India. It is available on Zee5.

Elaan

Elaan, the final film on our list, is believed to be the first film ever produced in this genre and is credited with greatly inspiring the creators of Mr. India. The film’s superhero’s main superpower was invisibility, just like Mr. India. The protagonist of the movie receives a ring that, when placed in his mouth, makes him invisible. The catch is that in order to do it, he must be absolutely naked. He does become a vigilante, but every time he wants to be seen, he needs to run for clothes, which causes a lot of tremendous comedy. The movie was directed by K. Ramanlal and stars Vinod Mehra, Vinod Khanna, Rekha, and Madan Puri.