Krrish (2006)

Krrish is a film in the vein of many recent superhero films that have come out of Hollywood.  But it is not a cheap knock-off; while it draws on a wide range of classic superhero tropes - a young man with super powers, an establishment interested in exploiting him, an evil mastermind toiling away for decades on a remote island -  it gives those tropes a completely Indian spin.  And although I am not now and have never been interested in the superhero genre, this film's hero is engaging, earnest, and sweet, and the result is a pleasant and sometimes quite charming timepass.

Krishna (Hrithik Roshan) is a gifted young man; he runs alongside horses, leaps through treetops, and scampers up cliffs with superhuman ease.  When Krishna meets a young woman Priya (Priyanka Chopra), on holiday from Singapore, he is instantly smitten, but Priya, who works in TV production and whose job is in jeopardy, sees in Krishna an opportunity for career advancement.  Telling Krishna that she returns his love, Priya lures him to Singapore in hopes of introducing the "Indian Superboy" to the world's television audiences.  Krishna's protective grandmother Sonia (Rekha) reluctantly allows him to go, but insists that Krishna conceal his powers from everyone he meets, and with some prodding, she explains why:  Krishna's father Rohit, now dead, was given (apparently hereditary) superpowers by a kindly space alien, but he was exploited by people who wanted to use his powers for their own personal gain.  This cost Rohit his innocence and, ultimately, his life, and Sonia cannot bear to see the same happen in Krishna.  In Singapore, Krishna unwittingly becomes the superhero Krrish when, saving some children from a horrible fire, he dons a circus mask in order to keep his promise of anonymity.  Soon everyone wants a piece of Krrish - the public longs to cheer for the mysterious hero, Priya is still eager to make television history, and the mastermind who orchestrated Rohit's exploitation is on the verge of a new breakthrough of his own.  The challenge for Krishna is to maintain his goodness and innocence in the face of all of this. 

Krrish is a sequel to 2003's Koi mil gaya, which I haven't seen, but fortunately Krrish pauses about forty minutes in and, in a rush of exposition and flashback, brings the viewers up to speed on the story of Krishna's father Rohit, who was the protagonist of the earlier film.   This makes Krrish essentially a freestanding story, and it stands fairly well.  Its greatest strength is the performance of Hrithik Roshan.  Early in the film his wide open smile conveys an engaging sense of wonder, joy, and innocence.  Krishna's physical powers set him apart from other young men, but his heart is clearly different as well; he is pure, unsullied by cynicism, completely open to the beauty of life.  Later in the film, as his innocence erodes, his face changes, developing an edge, but also a sense of loss and sadness.

Krishna's sweetness is, I think, what sets Krrish apart from superhero films in the western mold, whose protagonists tend to be dark, brooding creatures of the night nursing troubled pasts and restless souls.  Krishna does ultimately find himself on a mission of vengeance, but despite the sinister turn his adventures in Singapore take, he never completely compromises his gentle nature.  And it's the appeal of this character, and of Hrithik Roshan's performance, that makes Krrish completely delightful at moments, despite being stuffed with comic-book cliches.

The music is hit-or-miss, but it almost doesn't matter what the songs sound like as long as Hrithik is permitted to dance; he is an extremely skilled dancer - the most dancerly of all Bollywood heroes - and it is a treat to watch him exercise his phenomenal balance and control.  "Dil na diya" showcases these skills in a fun, manic circus setting. 

Comments

[Beth]

You haven't seen Koi Mil Gaya? Oh you must, it's so cute and sweet (normally terms that aren't my first choice for praise, but they fit here) and the dancing is even better. I'm having a hard time not putting my copy in an envelope to send you right this very second. I think you're right about the appeal of the Krishna character; you'll get the same sort of vibe in Koi Mil Gaya (and understand why "vibe" is the right word to use). Hrithik is very good at that kind of sweetness - for me, that component of his...acting style? personality? not sure what about him does it, but...anyway, that sweetness comes through in spades in his character in Lakshya, and I'd actually give that role the "most attractive male Bollywood character" runner-up prize (behind Sid, of course). He manages to be gentle and kind without being a fool (or being thought of as a fool by others), which I think is a type of person the world needs more of, that's for sure.

I saw Krrish in Ahmedabad - so no subtitles - and I'd like to see it again. For the hair, if nothing else. Why has no one explored the connection of his fabulous tresses to his superpowers? I know there's precedent for that somewhere....

[carla]

I wasn't sure about *Koi mil gaya* but I'll add it to the list on your recommendation. I do know that even during *Krrish* I was impressed by Hrithik's portrayal of Rohit - I don't know whether it was flashbacks to KMG or new footage, but either way I liked the way Rohit was just as open and innocent as Krishna and yet not exactly the same as Krishna. I also haven't seen *Lakshya*, just the song "Main aisa kyun hoon" which I LOVE. I feel that I don't watch enough recent movies so I'll keep that one in mind as well. (My stack of DVDs waiting to be watched is almost all oldies.)

[Beth]

I think you'll enjoy it. There's a great dance with Hrithik and Preity in the rain - splashing and wire work. Lakshya is largely forgettable with a few exceptions, and that song is of course the major exception and might be the best dance in Bollywood ever (according to me, anyway).

If only we could have a movie get-together! You can show me the oldies I'm missing and I'd do the same for the recenties!

[lemontart]

Krrish and Koi Mil Gaya are two of my favorites for feel-good Bollywood movies. Hrithik does a great job with characters like this, and as Beth mentioned above displays many of the same qualities in Lakshya, which in my humble opinion is an underrated movie. If you do get a chance to watch it you definitely should!

[Daddy's Girl]

While I was generally quite underwhelmed by 'Krrish', I agree that Hrithik gives the character a nice sweetness - I didn't like it much at the beginning of the movie (it felt too much like stupidity to me), but in the second half I appreciated it a lot more.

[carla]

lemontart: Thanks for the comment and recommendations. Someone I met in real life yesterday also recommended *Koi mil gaya* so I will have to take a look at it soon - the recommendations of it are racking up.

DG: I know what you mean about Krishna seeming stupid at the beginning of *Krrish*. I read it more as naive innocence, but it's not a far stretch to see it as stupidity.

[maxqnz]

I suppose the best thing about this review is that has reminded me of the value of surprise. Knowing that our tastes are often quite similar, and generally being able to use your reaction to a film as an indicator of my own likely reaction, I was completely floored by this review. I had actually skipped reading your reviews of films that I have not seen, because of the general harmony in our tastes, and my desire not to have the films spoiled for me. So when I read you praising a film that would score as 4/10 if I was feeling genrous, I was dumbstruck.

I found the acting awful, the effects mediocre, and the climax a ghastly mish-mash grab-bag of spuerhero clichés from as many different films as the makers could squezze into 15 minutes. Some of the scenes in the early part of the movie were not too bad, especially the whole "bhoot" gag, but for me this was uninspired mediocrity that actually seemed to celebrate its own "meh"ness. I forgive Naseeruddin his appearance in it because I know that his real work doesn't pay the bills, but given the choice between watching this washed out, anaemic "SupermanmeetsBatmanmeetsSpidermanmeetsTheFlash" clone/ripoff and SRK's Badshaah, I'd pick the latter in a heartbeat. And that is saying something for me, not being a SRK fan. As for the review itself, all I can say is, "vive la différence!"

[carla]

Well, I haven't seen Baadshah - and don't plan to - but given the choice between rewatching Krrish, and watching most Western superhero movies, I'd probably pick Krrish. That's not because I think Krrish is very good, but rather because I really can't stand the typical dark, brooding story arc of the typical dark, brooding superhero. Oh, yes, being a superhero is soooo haaaaaaard, and your life is just sooooo troublllllllled, and your brooding is sooooo deeeeeeep. Feh. One of the pleasant surprises of Krrish was that it didn't fall into the trap of that particular cliche - it kept its hero innocent and sweet, even when everyone he knew was basically out to get him. And that, to me, is the Indian slant that made Krrish reasonably engaging.

At any rate, it's not like I called it the best film ever - I put it in the "timepass" category - and I did note that it draws on a wide variety of superhero cliches. I don't think it's high art or a film I'm ever going to watch again. It just engaged me pleasantly for a couple of hours - from some films, that's all I ask.

Let me put this another way. Since I am not a fan of the superhero genre, I don't have great expectations from a superhero film. The fact that *Krrish* held my attention at all - very few western superhero films do - earns it a positive review.

And - thanks for stopping by - it's good to see familiar, er, faces? Handles? Sock-puppets? ;-) reading my reviews and leaving comments. Hope to see you again.

[maxqnz]

You really should give Badshaah a go. Spectacularly dumb, and utterly aware of the fact. As a self-spoof of his usual roles, it's better than Main Hoon Na. When you want a rest from the intensity and emotional depth of Shabana's work, put your brain to bed and watch Badshaah.

[Rohit Marfatia]

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