Why Indian cinema has far more superior superheroes than in Hollywood. Yeah yeah …there has been a long running debate on who is better in various categories of the cine field. Hollywood outplays Bollywood , Koliwood, Sandalwood, Teakwood and all other woods in all other categories but not in this category (Super heroes ). If you deny this fact , you haven’t been watching enough Indian movies( or to be precise the right ones).
The problem with Hollywood is that most of their super heros have non human origin. Like this kid, who gets bitten by a spider and inherits spiders’s characteristics (more than his fathers). Wonder if we had the same scenario here in India we would most probably have MosquitoMan, considering symbiotic relationship that we share with out fellow species. If the Superhero doesn’t have a non-homosapien origin he would have some abstract name like He-Man. Quite a strange name though, beats me completely. ‘He’ has to be a Man; no doubt.
The advantage of having abstract name is that you become less predictable. Any one could easily predict what spider man can do. He can swing from here to there, cast webs, get entangled in his own web, run out of web when is doing his favorite Tarzan trick. Hang upside down to kiss a gal on her lips (subject to proper altitude conditions). Of course he does carry some amount of unpredictability, unlike the spider the spider man releases the web through his wrist (saves the hero a lot embarrassment).
The story is completely different out here in Indian cinema. First of all superheroes in Indian cinema don’t have a dress code where as Superheroes in Hollywood have strict uniform (how rudimentary). Superheroes in Hollywood are literarily handicapped with out their gears. That’s not the case here, Rajinikant would belt 50 thugs no matter he wears his suit or his shorts hence they are more adaptable to the situation. Our superheroes enjoy more liberty (comfort to be precise) they are not forced to wear their underwear over their trousers, hence perform better.
Secondly our superheroes here are highly versatile. They not only perform super natural trick but are also part of complicated family drama, a cruel step mother, a drunkard father, an ailing sister and a handicapped brother. Despite such turmoil in his family he makes sure he gives at least one guest appearance for the item song. So you get more value for the money.
But what puts our super heroes a class apart form the Hollywood mutants is the dialogue delivery. Every super natural stunt is sandwiched between two shattering dialogues. For example there is this scene in the movie ‘Narasimha’ where the hero has been captivated by merciless terrorists. What do terrorists do? they subject our hero to physical torture. The Villain takes two wires (red and a green, villain seems to be well versed in physics) connects it to the transformer and tries to apply electric shock on our hero. What happens next is unbelievable (I still can’t digest it). The transformer explodes. What our hero had to say for destroying our villains uninsured transformer: “When you apply shock to a common man he gets a shock. But when you apply shock to Narasimha the current gets shock”. The villain is dumbstruck, he cannot digest the fact that all the education he had had, the 98% mark he got in his second mid term test in physics are now obsolete.
These were just samples. There are load of such superhero movies, This list is exhaustive. Our superheroes do not shy away from bullets. ‘Loha’ is a good example where you find Paaji sitting in a pretty awkward pose (disgusting) and grabbing bullets being fired by the villain with bare hands.
Considering the fact that our super heroes charge miniscule amount compared to their Hollywood counterparts. And the kind of visual treat they provide for the money. They stand tall with out any threat from anyone. I am eagerly waiting for ‘Narasimha 2’ mind it !!!
The problem with Hollywood is that most of their super heros have non human origin. Like this kid, who gets bitten by a spider and inherits spiders’s characteristics (more than his fathers). Wonder if we had the same scenario here in India we would most probably have MosquitoMan, considering symbiotic relationship that we share with out fellow species. If the Superhero doesn’t have a non-homosapien origin he would have some abstract name like He-Man. Quite a strange name though, beats me completely. ‘He’ has to be a Man; no doubt.
The advantage of having abstract name is that you become less predictable. Any one could easily predict what spider man can do. He can swing from here to there, cast webs, get entangled in his own web, run out of web when is doing his favorite Tarzan trick. Hang upside down to kiss a gal on her lips (subject to proper altitude conditions). Of course he does carry some amount of unpredictability, unlike the spider the spider man releases the web through his wrist (saves the hero a lot embarrassment).
The story is completely different out here in Indian cinema. First of all superheroes in Indian cinema don’t have a dress code where as Superheroes in Hollywood have strict uniform (how rudimentary). Superheroes in Hollywood are literarily handicapped with out their gears. That’s not the case here, Rajinikant would belt 50 thugs no matter he wears his suit or his shorts hence they are more adaptable to the situation. Our superheroes enjoy more liberty (comfort to be precise) they are not forced to wear their underwear over their trousers, hence perform better.
Secondly our superheroes here are highly versatile. They not only perform super natural trick but are also part of complicated family drama, a cruel step mother, a drunkard father, an ailing sister and a handicapped brother. Despite such turmoil in his family he makes sure he gives at least one guest appearance for the item song. So you get more value for the money.
But what puts our super heroes a class apart form the Hollywood mutants is the dialogue delivery. Every super natural stunt is sandwiched between two shattering dialogues. For example there is this scene in the movie ‘Narasimha’ where the hero has been captivated by merciless terrorists. What do terrorists do? they subject our hero to physical torture. The Villain takes two wires (red and a green, villain seems to be well versed in physics) connects it to the transformer and tries to apply electric shock on our hero. What happens next is unbelievable (I still can’t digest it). The transformer explodes. What our hero had to say for destroying our villains uninsured transformer: “When you apply shock to a common man he gets a shock. But when you apply shock to Narasimha the current gets shock”. The villain is dumbstruck, he cannot digest the fact that all the education he had had, the 98% mark he got in his second mid term test in physics are now obsolete.
These were just samples. There are load of such superhero movies, This list is exhaustive. Our superheroes do not shy away from bullets. ‘Loha’ is a good example where you find Paaji sitting in a pretty awkward pose (disgusting) and grabbing bullets being fired by the villain with bare hands.
Considering the fact that our super heroes charge miniscule amount compared to their Hollywood counterparts. And the kind of visual treat they provide for the money. They stand tall with out any threat from anyone. I am eagerly waiting for ‘Narasimha 2’ mind it !!!
