The nation needs a superhero. Some try to bring one back from the pages of history, make a big statue and, through it all, generate political capital. Some create a superhero from imagination, make a big statue of him on film, and from that generate actual capital.
Like Rakesh Roshan. And his immortal “Krrish” (the only superhero with a numerically correct name) franchise, which may miss a number (Krrish 1 is followed by 3) but never an opportunity for nifty surrogate advertising. Products dot the landscape of Krrish 3, like pictures of Gandhi, Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi at a Congress convention, and had not the movie been so stupendously original and exciting, one might have thought that more attention was given on product placement than things like plot, characterization and dramatic conflict.
Fortunately, that is not the case. Krrish is stupendously original, in every sense of the term.
I won’t go into the details of the story, which is immensely convoluted and multi-layered and highly scientific with DNA and lenses and “intelligent filters” , except to say that it entails a black-lipsticked, Gothic super-villain Kaal (played with undiluted grand-masti by Viv-however-he-spells-his-name-iek Oberoi) unleashing mayhem on the world through badass rhymes like “Is vangsh ka koi angsh rahena naheen doonga main” (Note to BJP: “Copy” right this line), with Krrish and his father (all twenty-two fingers, being played both by Hrithik Roshan), belonging to the aforementioned vangsh, standing in his way.
However what I would like to talk about, in a bit of detail, are the allegations made, by certain reviewers, that parts of the movie are not wholly original. Actually almost none of it. This is very obviously a canard spread by people jealous they can’t have Hrittik Roshan’s abs and/or are Khan fans. For example, take Kaal, the super-villain. Critics have pointed out that he is a cross between Magneto and Professor Xavier. This is because he has telekinetic abilities and is also confined to a wheelchair, (“Kaal gaale ke neeche bejaan hai, sirf haath ki do unglion ko chorkar”, which incidentally is a condition that afflicts some desi bachelor men in India, atrophied as they become through disuse and misuse). What they fail to realize is that the genius and the originality lies in putting, Magneto and the Professor together in one character, like taking chocolate and vanilla and creating a new flavor called “Two In One”. Sure some of the sequences look mildly (actually a lot) similar to stuff we have seen in X Men, (Liberty Island, Grand Central station set-pieces come to mind) but it is “adapted for India” which means the backdrop is Indian and the names have become all Indianized—Mystique becomes Kaya, Toad and Sabertooth looks sufficiently desi (as a matter of fact, Toad here endearingly steals ice-creams because nothing spells evil for Krrish’s target audience more than he who steals icecreams), and XMen are called Manwars ( a cross between manav and jaanwar, for those of you who need everything spelled out for them). This mapping is no mean feat.
Here is where the problem is. Critics are so busy trying to find out the parallels and the gotchas (“Aha I saw that in Spiderman”) that they fail to appreciate where Krrish blazes a new path. Sure, Krrish’s costume is a cross between Neo’s and Zorro’s and Gimp’s from “Pulp Fiction”. And sure, when his black cape flutters and he holds his pose before flying, it is exactly like Neo.
But, sirs and madams, why no plaudits for Kaal’s costume, the one he gets once he gets his legs back? That’s pure originality, because I do not recall a supervillian costume which makes the wearer look like yesterday’s hotdog wrapped in an aluminum foil, ready for the microwave. One can see the Robocop origins but this one is totally whack.
Which brings me back to the point. While cribbing and carping over minute details, these critics have missed the woods for the trees. They have failed to laud the dramatic conflict between a man confined to a wheelchair and another man who jumps about skyscrapers like he was bitten by a radio-active grasshoper, nor have they appreciated the sinister meaning behind the voice over’s words “Usne janwaron ko choona proyog ke liye.”
Disgraceful.
And then there are the performances. While Priyanka Chopra continues playing the “American teenager” character she has perfected through the “Chipchip” commercial and Roshan is as absolutely abstatic as ever and Oberoi really darkens his lips, the standout performance is of Kangana Ranaut, playing Kaya, born of “girgit” DNA. In cleavage baring attire (a hat-tip to the great superhero-creator “Stan” Lee), she uses her Kaya to good effect, no where more than when she comes into Arif Zakaria’s office in a sexy mood. Which then leads to my favorite part of Krrish, where once Kaya assumes the face and kaya of Arif Zakaria, we are treated to Arif Zakaria playing Kangana Ranaut, complete with a come-hither look. What special effects, and that too without any computers. On the topic of special effects, they are exquisite too, reminding me of olden simpler days when the hero would drive the car and sing, and it would be obvious that the foreground and the background don’t really match. I am sure a lot of SFX went into giving the film that retro feel. And just when I felt things couldnt get any more awesome, there is Mohnish Behl in a cameo and your faith in humanity is restored.
In any case, forget the critics. And the “originality” Nazis. Who cares about them anyways? What’s important is that the movie is a mega hit. The public have spoken. Through their wallets.
And why wouldn’t they?
Hum sab mein Krrish hai.
The Greatbong Blog & Podcast 
I like this review of yours. Yes , ofcourse there’s a whole lot of nitpicking but its done in a funny manner. The point about movies like Krrish( or Krrish 3 , whatever!) is that they cater to a mass audience comprising families made up majorly of children who like what they see onscreen. I am sure that most Indian children below 13 like the Hollywood superhero movies but can’t understand everything succintly as not every detail is dumbed down; A movie like Krrish in that sense is like an abridged version of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Isn’t it like muhc easier to understand a sentence like – The massive beast jumped upon Sir Henry like a monster in the darkness instead of the original line – ” The fire breathing,ghastly, black apparition pounced upon the hapless cowering Sir Henry as he succumbed to the horror of the macabre” !
Hence although a whole lot of us above 20 and above 30 audiences might identify a lot of hilarity in the way Krrish has been made or unfolds on screen, the fact is that its like good looking and tasting Chicken Biriyani on a holiday as oppossed to ,say, Spagetti Bolognaise and desi audiences , young or old , don’t really mind it. Its watchable , can produce suffiencient emotional connect and is essentially miles better than the horrific Ra-One.
Hence the movie works on all levels – the proof of the pudding being : 150 crores in 5 days. The eating thereof is delectable, no doubt.
Why do I suspect that you aren’t used to Greatbong’s writing style and that the irony here is lost on you? Unless your comment was ironic too. In which case hat-tip!
Yes, there were similarities with matrix. However, I did enjoy the movie a lot.
Nice sarcastic review though. It was a very enjoyable read too.
Small technical correction, Xmen were the mutants in professor Xavier’s side. Manavars are Mutants in general.
Sorry didnt understand the correction. Since Kaal is both Prof Xavier and Magneto. And Manavars are technically not Mutants, they are crossbreeds of animals and humans, though of course (I hope) in a test-tube. The resemblance is not through their origins, but through their characteristics.
I think(think!!! why am I thinking, when the Roshans have relied on copying without resorting to any critical thinking…..don’t I sound like that guy who would copy from you during exams, but would also question the answers that you provide!!) mutation would be required to create humans spliced with animal genes(or is it the other way round??).
How can you explain(??!!) Kangana in a spandex suit climbing walls with the help of poor CGI without mutation? It has to be mutation my friend….the kind of mutation which would even make ardent Darwinians like Richard Dawkins love and hate the theory of evolution at the same time! Technically they should be classified as mutants and not of the species Homo Sapiens. I mean come on….look at poor Viveik…he stopped looking and acting liking a human being after being bullied by Ash and dumped by Salman(or was it the other way round…don’t remember, it was long time ago!)
Reblogged this on Avi na ssh and commented:
It seems everyone is writing about Krrish 3. But this one is definitely the best
How come you did not mention the revolutionary method/technique/phenomenon of getting dead organisms back to life. I was hoping you’ll put some light (pun intended) on this…
Pure awesomeness has always and will always define logic. Never question the time tested FAARMULLA in Hindi Cinema. This one word explains everything scientific and otherwise inexplicable progress in the field of technology in the alternate universe of Bollywood mainstream. He did it because he discovered the FAARMULLA. He had lenses and test tubes and stuff. Also some computers and caged rats and plants and what not. Plus a white lab coat. What else do you want?? He could have discovered sustainable fusion if the script ever demanded it!!
lekhar sei jhNajh/tej aar nei re bhai 😦
Nice review. I saw the trailer and I knew this one was going to be terrible…
I remember an interview in which papa roshan was asked about krrish’s speciality where any hero could have played Hritik’s part wearing a cape and a half-face mask.
the bald roshan could not come up with a convincing answer then and shuffled uncomfortably in his chair.
I think this time it’s different.And even though i haven’t watched the film yet,
I can’t understand why you’ve used doses of sarcasm in here.
Way to slap Krrish 3 on the face! Most of the people who commented seemed to have missed the sarcasm completely. And that makes this all the more hilarious… 😀
Excellent read, Thanks for writing. But I am not able to take this blatant plagiarism and stupidity in with a humoristic attitude. I know you can’t too.
This unoriginality, dishonesty and collective mob mentality is reflected in our society in all our endeavors, in our institutions and in everything. It’s very sad. And to see these buffoons showcasing their POS products worldwide !!
Don’t they say Art is an imitation of an imitation ? Krissh has taken cues from other super hero genre films, but they have taken their cues also, just look at marvel and DC super heroes in general.
We have people raving on about Anil Kapoor’s 24 show, which exactly the same as the US one story an all so what was the point ? Not too sure but has been dramatic and entertaining.
Krissh 3 is making the money, and is head and shoulders above the trash of Ra.One. It may not be original or critically acclaimed but its achieving its agenda of making plenty of money and seems it will definitely surpass Chenna Express current record.
Why does avatar of people with pictureless profile looks like a female?
Next Krrish ( may be Krrish 5) must have Time Travel in which Krrish Accidently Kills Jaadu and destroys the franchise.
Craapy movie.Does not deserve a review greatbong.
Just watched K3. Feeling like eaten Kheechdi of 250 bucks made from hollywood ingredients and Bollywood spices. Umm..I am not able to digest this.
Dont see anybody commenting that Hritik Roshan sucks in the dad’s role….or was it only me? I could sit through all the stupid songs and everything….but that acting was unbearable and made my head ache. An hour with that person would be more lethal than any virus.
Nice review. But Kriss 3 is better than Ra1 for sure!
Funny .. especially the Pulp Fiction GIMP part.
Even more hilarious – http://mumbaiboss.com/2013/11/05/the-vigil-idiot-krrish-3/
I hope that you are being sarcastic about this review. did you even read your review once you finished it. ‘I won’t go into the details of the story, which is immensely convoluted and multi-layered and highly scientific with DNA and lenses and “intelligent filters”’ really? …. this is a sci-fi film and have they given any meaningful explanation to what this is ??? no it is just anything or anyone who can regulate light and after that filter incident how does krish start flying and have even more powers…… sci-fi films are supposed to be based on some principle of science or atleast to close to it, i think this is the only original thing in this movie and we would never pay to see stuff like this.
“What they fail to realize is that the genius and the originality lies in putting, Magneto and the Professor together in one character” …. so according to you the talent of a film maker lies in ripping off the good concepts of others movies and putting them together??????. SHAME ON U.
“Sure some of the sequences look mildly (actually a lot) similar to stuff we have seen in X Men” and yet you say “Fortunately, that is not the case. Krrish is stupendously original, in every sense of the term.” ….. im sure zombies ate your brain.
“Critics are so busy trying to find out the parallels and the gotchas” … actually krish 3 is the ugly parallel of so many awesome superhero movies.
“Sure, Krrish’s costume is a cross between Neo’s and Zorro’s and Gimp’s from “Pulp Fiction”. And sure, when his black cape flutters and he holds his pose before flying, it is exactly like Neo” …… and then you say “But, sirs and madams, why no plaudits for Kaal’s costume, the one he gets once he gets his legs back? That’s pure originality, because I do not recall a supervillian costume which makes the wearer look like yesterday’s hotdog wrapped in an aluminum foil” ……..actually this one is funny, no one liked the idea of villain wearing garbage can for costume THAT IS WHY THEY DIDNT APPLAUDE.
i cannot go on like this … feel pity for you. im really mad at you because most people dont see the way this movie is not original and how it sucks in a million ways, but you pointed out most of the reasons why this is the perfect example of a worst movie and then suddenly you go …….. “movie is a mega hit. The public have spoken. Through their wallets”
i think you hate this movie and are using sarcasm to fool the “krish 3 lover’s” into thinking that this review is +ve, in which case forget all i wrote above you are doing a pretty great job. or if it is the otherway around and you really felt that this a masterpiece from bollywood ………OMG.
@amanth mika
Really dude… do you understand the meaning of sarcasm? 😛
Thank u Ramen!
You know how there is a small maths question to answer before you can comment on TOI. Greatbong should have something like that (e.g. 2+3 = ?) for people like above. Amanth Mika, your comment made me laugh inside and then I started to think- it must be hard being so stupid!
Respect.
you are so intelligent and quick witted to find out the glitches in the review duuude.
figure this out for sarcasm.
and a friendly non sarcastic advice: stop reading this blog. not for you.
^Wow… I think someone(maybe Arnab himself) should write a book titled, “Sarcasm for Dummies”… Un-fricking-believable!
The last line is the killer 😀
severely disappointed not to find an observation from you on the destruction of Antilla in the movie. Touch of class from the Roshans 😀
You’re absolutely right. Such original, brilliant work has never been done before! Thanks for the laughs, especially the bit about Kaal’s outstandingly original costume. 🙂
small slips cropping up in your english. it is “missing the wood for the trees” and not “missing the woods for the trees”
Krissh 3 was easily the stupidest movie of the year and of the the stupidest things of all time. — Byron Injeeli
Krrish 3 is a good moovie not best
kaal’s costume-original ?? well , its a lift off from professor chaos character – South park