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India's Own Super Hero

APK | June 26, 2006

Rating: **** (***** Very Good, **** Good, *** Fair, ** Average, * Bad)

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Naseruddin Shah, Rekha, Sharat Saxena, Puneet Issar, Preity Zinta, Hemant Pandey, Kiran Juneja, Archana Puran Singh, Maaninee Misshra, Bin Xia, Akash Khurana, Mithilesh Chaturvedi, Edgar Noordanus, Fardeen Hussaini, Mickey Dhamijani, Yu Xuan, Zain Khan, Maninni De and Others.
Action: Shyam Kaushal & Tony Ching Siu Tung.
Art: Samir Chanda.
Cinematography: Santosh Thundiyil & Piyush Shah.
Dialogue: Sanjay Masoom.
Editing: Amitabh Shukla.
Music: Jatin-Lalit.
Screenplay: Sachin Bhowmik, Rakesh Roshan, Akash Khurana, Honey Irani, Robin Bhatt & Sanjay Masoom.
Story, Producer & Director: Rakesh Roshan.
Banner: Filmkraft Productions (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Release Date: 23rd June, 2006.

Got a problem? Just dial 100 for the police; if you can't then look towards the skies-not God, but the masked superhero is going to emerge from the nowhere, cape flying with or without a wind. He can fly, run faster than a horse, communicate with animals and birds, fight a horde of oriental armed goons at once and, last but not the least, save the world.

Sometime ago, Rakesh Roshan realized that India needed its own ET, and Jadoo debuted in Koi Mil Gaya and Forrest Gump's Indianized version was Rohit. Jadoo gave Rohit all its powers and left, and now what? Okay! So what else does our country need, apart from drinking water for all and poverty eradication? But of course! A Superhero. And who better to play that role, than Rohit's son, in a sequel to the successful Koi Mil Gaya? Krrish is here, and stay he will.

Plot Everyone knows it by now. Krishna is raised by his grandmother Sonia (Rekha) because his parents, Rohit and Nisha are dead. Jadoo made Rohit a genius, and he was called by a renowned scientist Siddhant Arya (Naseruddin Shah), to create a computer which can see the future so humanity can benefit. But Rohit is killed and tells his mother before he dies that people took advantage of his special powers. Now Krishna shows IQ above his age and displays powers at a very young age; to shield those powers so he doesn't see the same fate as Rohit, Sonia takes Krishna to the mountains and they lead a secluded life.

But it had to happen-A group of troopers come to the mountains, and Krishna falls in love with one of them, Priya (Priyanka Chopra) who goes back to Singapore and calls Krishna there to ask her mother for her hand. In truth, she has her selfish reasons to call him there. Krishna realizes this in time, and many other things about his father's past involving his fellow scientist, Siddhanth Arya. A freak fire accident turns him into Krishh, cape and mask to keep his word to his grandmom that he will not let the world know of his power, and he goes on to.. well, save the world, what else?

Story, Screenplay and Direction Can we call Krrish a Hollywood wannabe? No, because Hollywood hasn't taken any copyright of making slick superhero action flicks. It's a simple and unoriginal plot-boy with super powers leaves his secure home and goes into the big bad world, and ends up saving it. This shows the diversity of Indian Cinema, which takes everything into its fold.

Krrish is classy, and not at all overdone. Krrish looks good, and feels good. Everything is kept simple-the narration, the dialogues, the screenplay; the special effects are very good, better than Koi Mil Gaya. The action sequences (Shyam Kaushal and Tony Ching Siu Tung) are marvelous and look very real. One just wishes we could get to see more of Krrish the superhero, and a little less of Krishna. Krrish could have occupied a little more of the screen time and saved a few more lives, because watching Hrithik play superhero is a real treat. He seems to flower only in his father's direction, who is one of the best directors we have. Also, some of the melodrama could have been cut down, but Roshan probably feared rejection from glycerin-hungry Hindi audiences.

Performances Hrithik Roshan can stand up and take a bow, pat himself in the back and feel the thunderous applause ringing in his ears. He worked his life off for this character(s), and the results are here for all to see. He is a big star, no doubt, but sadly underrated as an actor. He overshadows veterans like Naseruddin Shah and Rekha, and just for that, he is welcome to pocket all the existing awards (like he did with KMG). His physique, his expressions and his charm work wonders on the screen, and he is a sight for sore eyes, especially as Krrish the superhero.

Priyanka Chopra looks lovely and does her character well. Hers is the classical beauty of Madhuri, and she is all woman. Naseruddin Shah fits the role of a crazy scientist very well, and the way he does the news-reading bit everytime he commits a crime gives his character the much needed sadistic and evil feel. Rekha is as versatile as ever, not to mention elegant and graceful. Maninni De as Priyanka's friend Honey and Archana Puran Singh as her boss are funny but overact a little, as is Hemant Pandey as Bahadur.

Music And Choreography: Rajesh Roshan's music is simple, sweet and melodious but not great-one wishes there were one or two paisa vasool songs (like those in Kaho Na Pyar Hai). The picturization of 'Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani' and 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' in the mountainous locales are beautiful to look at. Hrithik needs a dance number to satisfy the millions who come just to watch him dance-so he does, and impresses one and all in 'Dil Na Diya'.

And the verdict is.. Hollywood movies ET + Forrest Gump = Koi Mil Gaya, and what a successful arithmetic it was! Now Krrish is derived from adding a superhero movie like Batman and Superman to a Hindi revenge drama (son takes revenge for his father), and does a pretty cool job of it. The Krrish merchandise that has been launched was done so with the eye of making one or more sequels to Krrish. Make way, Hollywood hunkies; our Indian Superhero is here to stay.