Not every Indian superhero movie lands, but these prove the genre has plenty of potential.
Key Points
- From Mr India to Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra, seven Indian superhero films prove the genre can thrive without Hollywood-sized budgets.
- These movies that blend superhero spectacle with strong characters, social themes and distinctly Indian storytelling.
- Ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, here’s why Indian cinema deserves more credit for its own caped (and cape-less) heroes.
After playing Telemachus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Tom Holland is giving back-to-back treats to his fans as he also returns as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film arrives in India on July 30, a day before its American release.
The earlier release here is proof that Marvel acknowledges just how much Indian audiences love their superhero movies, most of which, particularly the Spider-Man and Avengers films, do reasonably well here.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean Indian cinema truly needs superhero movies. Do our films really miss them?
Take any action potboiler, and there is a high chance that the hero will be performing humanly impossible feats while taking on the villains.
American movies need their protagonists to inject themselves with a super-soldier serum, be exposed to gamma radiation or rely on advanced technology.
Our Indian movies, particularly in South cinema, just need the hero to simply exist. Occasionally, they may require some divine intervention or maa ka pyaar to unlock that superheroism, but no matter the situation, unless the screenplay says otherwise, the hero of a mass entertainer is more powerful than almost any superhero from Hollywood.
This is a reason why superhero movies remain such a challenging proposition in India. How do you make these protagonists feel special when your ordinary hero can send 20 men flying with a single punch or leap across buildings as if gravity doesn’t exist? Then there is also the logistical challenge of justifying the genre’s budget.
Yet, there have been notable attempts to make superhero movies over the decades. Sure, some of them are outright rip-offs. How many of you know Bollywood made a Superman movie in the ’80s that starred Puneet Issar as the Man of Steel, while Dharmendra played his father?
Or Krrish 3, which may have an ‘original’ story and a bigger budget, so to speak, but whose scenes and characters borrow rather liberally from Marvel’s X-Men.
Then there are films that are high on ambition but don’t entirely live up to their promise, like Ra.One, and others that are simply bad, like A Flying Jatt, Drona and Little Superman.
But there are also some gems that overcome the challenges of making a superhero movie in India and prove that you don’t need a massive budget to tell a story about superpowered beings. Just intent, smart writing and the right casting can work wonders.
Sreeju Sudhakaran picks seven Indian superhero movies that have impressed him over the years, ranked from good to spectacularly awesome.
7. The Great Grand Superhero: The Arrival of Aliens (2026)
Language: Hindi
Where To Watch: Not Available Online Yet
It’s a tragedy that this film came and went with so little fanfare this year. It’s aimed primarily at children, and genuinely good Bollywood films for that audience are becoming increasingly rare.
The Great Grand Superhero is also a ‘superhero’ movie with a heart, sprinkled with some sweet satire about the current state of entertainment in the country. The story follows a young boy who convinces his friends that his grandfather is actually a retired superhero, and the old man begrudgingly plays along with the lie.
Trouble begins when an alien threat arrives, forcing the ‘superhero’ to step up for real.
The Great Grand Superhero may be the weakest film on this list — the third act, in particular, is shaky and overly preachy — but its sincerity is impossible to ignore, as are the warmth and humour brought by both the child actors and Jackie Shroff. Here’s hoping the film finds the audience it deserves once it lands on OTT.
6. Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018)
Language: Hindi
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
Technically, the protagonist of Vikramaditya Motwane’s film isn’t a superhero, at least not in the conventional sense. He doesn’t possess any powers. But then neither does Batman, so there’s that.
Bhavesh Joshi is an ordinary young man hoping to settle abroad, but after the murder of his activist best friend, he chooses to carry forward his mission, albeit wearing a mask and riding a bike.
While Harshvardhan Kapoor is just about okay in the lead role, what really works is the motivation behind his transformation into a vigilante and the film’s decision to anchor the conflict around a relatable social issue, in this case, the water mafia.
It may not be Motwane at his very best, but it boasts some slick action scenes, including a chase sequence that’s impressively staged and edited.
5. Krrish (2006)
Language: Hindi
Where To Watch: Z5
Rakesh Roshan’s follow-up to Koi… Mil Gaya is a reasonably enjoyable superhero origin story that deserves some credit for turning the genre of the franchise, successfully at that.
Hrithik Roshan has the perfect body language for a dashing superhero, and while the screenplay is hardly anything to rave about, there are plenty of entertaining superhero moments and cool action scenes.
Naseeruddin Shah’s delightfully hammy performance as the antagonist, who may not possess superpowers but remains a credible menace with a tendency to break the fourth wall, is great fun to watch.
What works best about Krrish is that it has an identity of its own. The influences are there, but it still feels very much like a Bollywood film. Unlike the bigger budgeted sequel, which is both bloated and too derivative to have much personality.
4. Lokah: Chapter 1 — Chandra (2026)
Language: Malayalam
Where To Watch: JioHotstar
No one who watched Dominic Arun’s first chapter in the rumoured pentalogy expected him to transform the folklore legend of Kariyankattu Neeli into a superhero.
Chandra, aka Neeli, is a vampire, which means she is immortal, can heal herself, possesses immense strength and can leap extraordinary heights. And yes, if provoked, she has no qualms about sinking her teeth into a villain’s neck, with Kalyani Priyadarshan shining in the part.
With its blend of action, folklore and comedy (thanks largely to Naslen and company), Arun delivers an effectively thrilling and slickly shot superhero film that also does a fine job of expanding its universe through star cameos, hinting at a larger world filled with mythical beings living among humans.
Whether the future instalments, to be led by Tovino Thomas, Dulquer Salmaan, and possibly, even Mammootty, can maintain that quality remains to be seen.
3. Minnal Murali (2021)
Language: Malayalam
Where To Watch: Netflix
Basil Joseph’s third directorial follows a superhero template we’ve seen countless times before. An ordinary man randomly gains superpowers, adopts a secret identity, faces a villain with similar abilities and eventually clashes with him.
What makes Minnal Murali so enjoyable is how it plants this familiar superhero template in a rural setting populated by quirky characters trying to make sense of the bizarre events unfolding around them.
The film is packed with inventive touches (like the clever scene where Minnal Murali’s huffing syncs with Kithachethum Kaatte song from Hitler) and smartly choreographed action sequences backed by remarkably polished VFX, all the more impressive given the film’s modest budget.
Tovino Thomas is immensely likeable as the Flash-like leading man, but as they say, a superhero movie is only as good as its villain. Guru Somasundaram not only delivers a terrific performance, but also makes his antagonist’s simmering anger at the world around him feel completely believable.
2. Maaveeran (2023)
Language: Tamil
Where To Watch: Prime Video, MX Player, SunNxt
Within four years, Sivakarthikeyan played a superhero in two films. While P S Mithran’s Hero (2019) was a decent effort, it doesn’t hold a candle to Madonne Ashwin’s Maaveeran, which is also possibly the best Indian superhero movie of this decade.
Sorry, Minnal Murali and Lokah!
Maaveeran has Sivakarthikeyan playing a meek comic-book artist who gains special powers after a suicide attempt. Okay, that sentence didn’t sound quite right.
Suddenly, he begins hearing a voice inside his head (voiced by Vijay Sethupathi) that guides him through every obstacle and helps him take on corrupt builders and politicians.
Maaveeran is a smartly written and directed superhero film with an enjoyable lead performance that lands emotionally because it also addresses a pressing social issue affecting many poor civilians.
1. Mr India (1987)
Language: Hindi
Where To Watch: Prime Video, MX Player, Z5
I’d like to believe this Shekhar Kapur classic is the Hindi film I’ve watched the most. Yet, I’m never tired of it. It’s almost perfect as it is.
A golden-hearted protagonist who rises to the occasion? Check.
A supervillain with his own cool lair and blindly following henchman? Check.
A slick superpowered gadget, even if it gives just invisibility (that comes with a catch)? Check.
Cult characters? Check.
Cult songs? Check.
Cult comedy, scenes and dialogues? Check.
Anil Kapoor and Sridevi’s incredible chemistry? Check.
A motley group of kids who don’t feel annoying? Check.
Seriously, what’s not to love about this film? They just don’t make movies like Mr India anymore!
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
