- Acting
- Direction
- Screenplay
- Music
- SFX
When Sunny Deol can blare and bellow, rip out a hand-pump with one hand and sucker punch an army of assassins with another, then why the hell do we need a Krrish flying around in his custom made black leather cape, a lightening cut mask, six pack abs and super conditioned hair?
In fact, all Bollywood has delivered so far are superheroes, men who can single handedly raze evil to the ground. Of lately, Prabhu Deva and Rohit Shetty have been giving us their own versions of supermen in films like “Ready,” “Rowdy Rathore” and “Singham.” No one can beat “Himmatwala,” and when all fails, the great Indian Gods step in with their Trishuls and Shers, Sudarshan chakras and heavenly gaze.
In spite and despite of all the high on herogiri cinema, we have “Krrish,” and part 3 was such a déjà vu. If “Koi Mil Gaya” was “inspired” by Steven Spielberg’s “ET,” “Krrish 3″ is a mind-numbing mix of all the Hollywood superhero sci-fi flicks. Roshan Sr’s creation takes “fusion is the future” formula rather too seriously. So, we have mutants called Maanvar (manav plus jaanwar, yes, even I was zapped with this one) led by shape-shifting Kangana Ranaut as Kaaya (remember Mystique from “X Men”), a pasty mad-scientist of a villain on a wheelchair called Kaal (Viviek Oberoi) whose powers match those of Charles and Magneto from “X Men,” and Krrish who swings somewhere between “Iron Man,” “Batman” and “Hancock.”
He may not have wings or webs, but boy can be scoot like a bullet. I have to confess, it was fun watching him and the impressive SFX making up the film’s imagery and pace. But what caught our attention was Hrithik Roshan as Rohit Mehra, the senior, challenged scientist and Krrish’s father. As an older Rohit, Hrithik’s endearing and just right. What put us off was Priyanka Chopra submitting to a dimwit of a role. Any day Ranaut with her chiseled looks wins over.
“Krrish 3″ may have raked in over 70 crores in the last few days. It’s also making moolah with all the Krrish merchandise, but what this actually is, is a superhero film for the dummies, folks who have never ever been exposed to any kind of superhero flick. For people like us, spoiled rotten by the originals - “Avengers,” “Hulk,” “Wolverine,” “Batman,” “Superman,” “Spiderman,” “Thor,” “Iron Man” – “Krrish” is like revisiting the nursery, a “Superman” 30 years back. In the Indian context, evolution of heroes and anti-heroes, superheroes and supervillains will perhaps take its own time. In the meantime, don’t forget to pay your respects to another original – “Shaktimaan.”
