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Made to return

As `Superman Returns' makes a splash at the silver screen this week, a look at the Superhero's past and his Indian avatars

HE'S BACK Superman is ready to woo audiences world over

In Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie, Jor-El, played by Marlon Brando, tells his son whom he has sent to live amongst humans on Earth that human beings are capable of greatness. They only lack the light to show the way. As debutant Brandon Routh gets into the blue costume, once donned by the legendary Christopher Reeve in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns this Friday, the mission remains the same. Nobody knows for sure what has worked for the creation of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster that catapulted a cartoon strip hero to a rage on celluloid. A few notches above the other super heroes like Batman and Spiderman.

Published in 25 languages in 40 countries, it is said that if you take the trademark S shield to a jungle, there are 50 percent chances that the inhabitants would recognise it. A number of television series have also been made around the `man of steel'. Some are bewitched by the unassuming nature of Clark Kent, the form Superman lives in when he is not out to save the world. Others find the dream to fly come true courtesy their superhero. Even others root for his ability to do the right thing and to be able to take on anything.

After the popular animated shorts by Fleischer Studios in1941, Superman was first made into a movie in 1951. Called Superman and the Mole Man, George Reeve played the title role.

However, it was Chrisopher Reeve who brought more than a dash of reality to a character that is supposed to be from another planet with Superman The Movie in 1978.

The way he could change the body posture and modulate his voice when playing Clark and Superman, made people believe that they are essentially two different characters. As Clark, he would quiver and slouch down but the moment he would get his S-shield, his back would straighten and the voice got deeper. His parted hairs and big glasses made many a heart go aquiver. No wonder, he did three sequels of the movie, the last one in 1987. The producers were so hooked to the franchise that despite Superman IV's failure at the box office and Reeve opting out, they went on to explore Superman's family through Supergirl.

Bollywood takes

Over the years Bollywood has also tried to use Superman's popularity within the walls of its hackneyed formulae and limited technological expertise. We have seen Dharmendra catching the bullet and Mithun Chakravarty running faster than the bullet.

If B. Gupta's Superman starring Punit Issar as the Superman and Dharmendra as his biological father was a poor copy of the original, Shekhar Kapur successfully tried to create the indigenous one with Mr. India.

Amitabh Bachchan, who reportedly refused the film, suddenly got so glued to the subject that he did three back-to-back super hero films - Shahenshah, Ajooba and Toofan. Only Shahenshah survived at the box office. Things have improved, though. Only this past week, we had Hrithik Roshan playing superhero Krrish, with visual effects almost at par with any Hollywood sci-fi thriller.

As Superman Returns in four versions, the audience would decide who would rule the box office, the desi or the exotic one.

ANUJ KUMAR

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