From Shaktimaan to Brahmastra: How India is creating its own Marvel universe

Back when Ayan Mukerji had not set out to create India’s own Marvel universe, Indian superheroes were limited to Mukesh Khanna’s Shaktimaan, Amitabh Bachchan’s Ajooba, Anil Kapoor’s Mr India, Puneet Issar’s Superman and down South, a South-Indian Superman blessed with superpowers from Lord Hanuman, played by NT Rama Rao.

In the limited sci-fi genre in India, Captain Vyom’s popularity was a raging success among the young during the late 1990s. Model and actor Milind Soman in his copper body-fitted suit, essayed the role with superhero-like charm.

It is no doubt that any superhero would be devoid of superpowers without VFX thrown in. In early 2000s, Hrithik Roshan’s Krrish series, ushered in a new era of Indian superheroes onscreen. Not only did Krrish pave way for Indian modern-day superhero but the use of visual effects in the film set the standards high for the superhero films to follow. For the very first time, the spaceship descending on to earth looked life-like and real onscreen. And so did, Krrish’s flying sequences and the popular alien — Jaadu’s character, thanks to the use of good quality visual effects.

Few years later, Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies VFX furthered the super-hero genre standards with Ra.One.

This was a grand shift away from the absurdities of the 2002 onscreen disaster Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, in which the poorly done VFX not only rendered the film a box office dud but made the horror-revenge film into an almost comical-animated offering that had a superficial looking skeleton in place of a bride’s face and bikes flying out of building walls.

Even though Minnal Murali, Bhavesh Joshi and A Flying Jatt have, in the post-Krrish times, attempted a superhero yet again, Tovino Thomas, Harshvardhan Kapoor and Tiger Shroff, failed to create a lasting impact.
Either equipped with poor VFX due to budget constraints or lack of technology or due to weak scripts, Bollywood has often missed its mark when it comes to creating its own Marvel universe. However, with companies like Prime Focus, Red Chillies VFX, Reliance Mediaworks, Moving Picture Company, Prana Studios, and Tata Elsxi, the state of visual effects in Indian films have massively improved.

Now equipped with technology, inflated budgets and strong scripts, Bollywood is re-writing and bringing back its superheroes from the past. From Rahul Roy transitioning into a tiger on every full moon night in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1992 Junoon to Varun Dhawan becoming a werewolf in Dinesh Vijan’s recently released Bhediya, the shift in both the art of storytelling and the use of technology is evidently and abundantly visible.

Coming back to Brahmastra, not only Shiva but popular Indian superhero Shaktimaan, in a bigger and better avatar will add to the list of modern Indian superheroes. Mukesh Khanna has announced that the Shaktimaan film, that is being made at a budget of Rs 300 crore with Sony Pictures International Productions, will most likely feature Ranveer Singh as the superhero and that he will be very ‘desi’ in portrayal and appeal.

Milind Soman’s Captain Vyom’s return too has been announced as a web series by Brewing Thoughts Pvt Ltd. It is most likely to be made into a multi-part film as well.

Finding the roots

In an attempt to present an inclusive mix of characters and heroes, Marvel universe has introduced several Indian superheroes. From the purple-faced Indra, the first Indian superhero created by Stan Lee – Chakra, the genderfluid Aruna, to the ancient India prince Rama Chandra, Marvel has had its own offering of Indian superheroes in the past.

However, there is a considerable difference between an Indian superhero by an Indian maker and an Indian superhero by Western makers. Take Shaktimaan, for instance. The hero, with his Indian values – morals and ethics intact, appeals to the Indian audience more than Chakra would do. The problem also lies in representation. Brahmastra’s Shiva looks more Indian than Aruna or Indra do, and hence, the connect deepens with the character.

Ayan Mukerji’s three-part series is also set to introduce an array of Indian superheroes rooted in Indian culture and inspired from mythology – Shiva who can harness fire and his father, Dev in the upcoming second instalment.

Stereotyped a nation of snakes and snakecharmers, India has had its own share of creature-superheroes in the form of shape-shifting Naags and Naagins. Now moving away from Sridevi’s Naagin, a three-part Naagin trilogy starring Shraddha Kapoor has also been announced.

Going forward, an Indian Marvel universe – an Astraverse, in Ayan Mukerji’s words, looks surely promising and it would be interesting to see what characters come forward and how they go on to save the world!

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