Krrish 3
Year: 2013
Director: Rakesh Roshan
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut, Vivek Oberoi

“Mere paas baap hai!”

The film-industry and common-folk both have often sarcastically taken recourse to this line to explain Hrithik Roshan’s mantra of success. Of course, the Adonis-bodied actor has also succeeded in outside banners in films like Jodha Akbar, Dhoom 2 and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobaara. But the fact remains that his biggest blockbusters right from his debut vehicle Kaho Na Pyar Hai have been made by his father Rakesh Roshan.

This time around, the father comes up with yet another installment in his sci-fi series, which began with an ET-inspired Koi Mil Gaya and went on to create an Indian superhero Krrish. Rather than calling the new film Koi Mil Gaya 3 or Krrish 2, the senior Roshan decides to name it Krrish 3. Forward thinking, I must say!

So how has the father-son team performed this time around?

What’s the plot?

Krrish (Hrithik Roshan) is unsuccessfully trying to settle down in regular jobs while successfully carrying out his emergency superhero-duties. The life is going on happily with his TV- news reporter wife (Priyanka Chopra) and his scientist father (Hrithik playing the older version of the man-child, who was turned into a genius through alien intervention in Koi Mil Gaya!). But in a faraway castle a demented disabled scientist (Vivek Oberoi) is plotting to take over the world by releasing a deadly virus and a team of mutant killers! An epic Good versus Evil battle is about to ensue!

What’s hot?

·         Rakesh Roshan’s plot and direction are well-knitted with the lavish production values and sophisticated special effects to give a perfect Bollywoodized Super-Hero film experience.

·         Hrithik Roshan’s father-son double role works well. He is more endearing as the goofy old man, rather than the stiff haired young man with or without the superhero-mask.

·         Vivek Oberoi as the crazy villain, Kangna Ranaut as the mutant form-changing femme fatale and Rajpal Yadav as Krrish’s tall-talking friend deliver good performances.

What’s not?

·         The story is a hotchpotch of practically every Hollywood superhero film. So be prepared to see numerous Superman, Spiderman, X-Men kind of plot devices. Plus, there are the standard Bollywood clichés about family values and secularism aplenty!

-         Blatant sponsor advertisements in many scenes.

·         Rajesh Roshan’s music is off- colour.

·         Priyanka Chopra is average.

·         At times, the special effects appear tacky! But thankfully these moments are few and far between.

Verdict

There have been many reviews panning the movie for being unoriginal. Who really expects originality in superhero movies? At least I don’t! Such movies (even the good Hollywood ones!) usually just credibly weave together human and superhuman elements and deliver a fast-moving spectacle of special effects-filled good versus bad battle. Based on these criteria, Krrish 3 does a fair job. It is a well-made plush entertainer, if you like that kind of sci-fi entertainment in Bollywood setup.

The super-success of the film is once more going to give more life to the ‘Mere paas baap hai’ barb. But I don’t think either the Baap or the Beta would mind it one bit! If the last scene was any indicator, then few would bet against the fourth installment of this franchise coming our way in a few years’ time!

Rating

3 stars