He might not exactly be a household name outside of India - in fact, his first movie is only just about to open there this week, so no hard feelings if someone tells you “Krrish” and your first reaction is, “bless you.”
But the masked hero is Bollywood’s first attempt to cash in on the likes of X-Men and Superman, with a hero who doesn’t appear in a film that’s a comedy, a tragedy or a musical love story. And, costing 450 million rupees (that’s about £5 million) it boasts massive special effects and daring stunts. In another Bollywood first, it’s also a sequel, to 2003’s Koi... Mil Gaya, which was based on ET.
The plot has Krrish (Hrithik Roshan, the director’s son) receiving superpowers from an alien, and using his new-found abilities to - what else? - tackle crime.
Director Rakesh Roshan explained that he wasn’t looking to make a carbon copy of the American superfreaks, more challenge them at the box office with a homegrown hero. "As there is Batman, Spider-Man and Superman, in the same way I have created a superhero character. I want to prove to the world that Bollywood is no less than Hollywood," he blabbed to Variety.
