Rohit's sibling Krrishna... Review on Krrish

Is it a man? Is it a mutant? Is it a NBA player in ‘flubber’ boots? No, it’s Krrish! And it’s our very own national superhero. So what if he’s too busy wooing his lady love and saving yuppie chinks in Singapore- land rather than aid us lesser ethnics with his world saving skills.

But who cares, Mr.Roshan (I mean Rakesh) has a story to tell and Krrish has a father to save (yeah, our favourite man from KMG is alive). So let the aerobatics begin. Long the underdog in the Bollywood arena, fantasy flicks have finally got their catching up act together with this one and take nothing away from our ‘jaadu’ man Rakesh Roshan. He’s worked hard on every frame and broken every sweat in putting together this tale of heroism, virtuosity and above all, benevolence.

And to think of it he’s achieved it without even getting too exacting with the techno-jargon or breaking away from the basic grammar of Hindi entertainers. (C’mon, don’t go in expecting science fiction!)

Since this is in fact our first true Superhero movie, it is perhaps as critic-proof as movies come, so nothing that I say will make much of a difference, but, for what it's worth, this represents a good summer break - bold, colorful, and reasonably well-paced without numbing the mind or insulting the intelligence.

In spite of being a sequel, it is still the first in the Krrish series. And, like most Superhero flicks, this one has a wide-open ending that invites - nay, demands - a sequel. Barring an unexpected box-office disaster, another sequel is probably only a couple of years away.

The second half of Krrish is unquestionably better than the second. This is the segment of the film where Krrish goes from being a gifted boy to a powerful hero, tentatively exploring his skills. The latter half of the film is also more action-oriented and features an excessive reliance upon special effects.

The CGI (computer graphics) work is not clumsily done, but it is more or less evident when the movie switches from live actors to computer-generated ones. Unlike few wasted superheroes, Krrish also has a lot of appeal and emotional depth. And those are qualities that remain in force even when the mask is donned.

Although it is first and foremost an action/adventure film, Krrish is many other things, as well, including all the usual Bollywood shenanigans (songs, comedy, romance, all that).

There's a fairly high romance quotient - after all, most of Krrish's motivations are centered around his fascination with Priya. Krrish also offers occasional doses of morality, the most prominent one coming from Krrish himself: "Anyone who helps others is a hero."

But ‘Krrish’s greatest strength is Hrithik Roshan. The hard working actor, who has hardly ever given a bad performance, is an inspired choice for the role.

Not only is he capable of handling the role of the innocent rustic Krrishna, he also has enough bulk and charisma to look good in that specially designed Krrish-suit. Hrithik never overacts the part, nor does he view this as a camp.

It's a serious, committed performance, and it doesn't take us long to believe in Krrish. Added to that, he can make some extremely dopey lines of dialogue sound convincing. With this everyman interpretation, he has well and truly struck a chord with every audience section.

Rakesh Roshan's direction is solid, although not as emblematic in KMG, but he’s chosen now to enter a different league. He avoids an overabundance of trickery, but chooses his shots in a way that often gives us the sense of being on a journey with Krrish, rather than standing to the side as detached observers.

Rajesh Roshan's music score is not bravura, but more workmanlike. But more importantly, the songs are not fitted in as story impediments.

There's plenty of visual sparkle and dizzying action, but not at the expense of the other qualities that make for a complete movie experience. And it offers us Hindi audiences an opportunity to sit back and enjoy the birth of our first cinematic superhero!