Bhavesh Joshi Superhero

What sets this one apart from most superhero movies, is the fact that its capeless crusader doesn't possess any superpowers. This renders a realism that makes him vulnerable to blows, ensures he doesn't always land his uppercuts precisely and only occasionally, manages to dodge the jabs. So essentially, we have a hero who may not be 'super' but strives for perfection and is willing to go the extra mile for insaaf, even if it may come at this cost of his inevitable end.

This could have been Harshvardhan Kapoor's dream run in Bollywood, as the format of the film and the diffidence of the character that results in the super hero 'masked' during his 'acts' of Insaaf (justice). The feeling of judgment 'Insaaf' is born from that India against corruption social movement that happened a few years ago. Ironically, the movement that ended as just a paper revolution on social media meets with the same fate as movie. Vikramaditya Motwane fails to give this super hero the 'Udaan' it deserves and finds itself 'Trapped' in its bid to be a dark, quirky and edgy super hero.

Expectation is the mother of all screw-ups. Which, as an audience, was pretty much my situation with this film. As is the case with the youngling characters in this picture. They can't digest the political corruption in their midst that they feel they must personally do something about. Frankly, if you aren't an idealist in your 20s, as the kids in this picture are, you clearly don't have a heart.

Set in Mumbai, 'Bhavesh Joshi Superhero' revolves around three friends- Sikandar Khanna (Harsh), Rajat (Ashish Verma) and Bhavesh Joshi (Priyanshu Painyuli). Disgusted with the rampant corruption in the city, Sikandar and Bhavesh turn into masked vigilantes to tackle corruption on a local level and use a YouTube page to invite applications for help from citizens.

For a while now, Bollywood has played it safe. The themes of many recent films have been in tandem with the current political atmosphere, and for the most part, you're compelled to feel a sense of patriotism and pride. That's where Bhavesh Joshi Superhero breaks away from the well-trodden path. It takes a route that Bollywood might not want to set foot on.

V For Vendetta introduced us to the concept of a masked hero who inspires copycat followers. Then there is Batman who knows that the whole of Gotham is corrupt and he's fighting a lonely war against a system and not individuals. In Kick-Ass, a teenager aspires to be a superhero and circumstances lead him to become one. From fighting petty crimes Kick-Ass graduates to fighting organised crime.

A vigilant with a red neon light mask roaming around Mumbai city to expose water scam, Bhavesh Joshi sound interesting but unfortunately it's a yawn fest. An anti corruption movement highlighted is derailed and overshadowed by unbelievable stunts of our desi superhero. The funniest part is when the male protagonist calls himself 'Justice League' of very popular DC, edgeier, smarter and powerful.

A city engulfed by corruption, a masked hero wanting to bring reform and save his city from crumbling under the weight of greedy politicians and police officers. Bhavesh Joshi is the story of a bunch of friends - Sikander (Harshvardhan Kapoor), Bhavesh (Priyanshu Painyuli) and Rajat (Ashish Varma) who form a masked vigilante group aimed at eradicating corruption and meting out justice to the common man.

So, to clear out one thing, Harshvardhan Kapoor is not Bhavesh Joshi and the movie is not named after his character. Bhavesh Joshi (Priyanshu Painyuli), Sikandar Khanna aka Siku (Harshvardhan Kapoor) and Rajat -Something- (Ashish Verma) are three best buddies who united because of their thoughts about revolutionising the country. They even met in a road protest where they forcefully got arrested in order to bring a change. So, we see how Bhavesh Joshi and Siku are adamant to bring a change and hence create their own mini two-man vigilante gang to do so.

Superhero and vigilante films lean perforce on certain tropes: A huge motivating factor (usually loss of a loved one), a set of skills and resources, the determination to do good, and a distinctive costume. Vikramaditya Motwane's homespun masked crusader checks all these boxes. But in this all-black ensemble with LED lights twinkling in his helmet, Bhavesh Joshi is not Batman, Superman or even Deadpool. He's closer to American cult character Kick Ass. He gets his butt kicked, he makes rookie mistakes, he operates more from passion and guilt than with a plan.

Be it Krrish or A Flying Jatt, a strong sense of personal loss has never been the hallmark of the Hindi superhero films. They never came out of the shadow of their western counterparts. Their villains were caricatures and their crusades were designed to mostly impress children, their core viewers. On that account, Bhavesh Joshi Superhero is indeed the right step in terms of a mature presentation and setting the agenda right.

He can't fly or swing from rooftops. He doesn't have a million dollar armoured suit with fancy gadgets. He doesn't have a magic ring to give him powers overnight or super strength. But, he's our very own homegrown superhero - a simple man made of flesh and bones, with a bleeding heart. In Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, Harshvardhan Kapoor, Priyanshu Painyuli & Ashish Verma play three college mates who are more socially conscious than your average graduate.

Three pals sit around shooting the breeze, getting all worked up about society and corruption and the common man and justice. That's how the film begins, and instantly alerts us that it is about youth, power and a fight against Things That Trouble Us The People. It is what loads of the young do, because it is what the young are meant to: rail against the system, in college canteens and classrooms, via processions and placards, their rage fading away as they enter the age of adulating and job forces and workplaces and targets and EMIs.

In the dying minutes of Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, water scam kingpin Rana (played by Nishikant Kamat) narrates to the grievously wounded protagonist Sikanadar Khanna (Harshvardhan Kapoor) the Greek myth of Icarus. Carried away by pride and youthful enthusiasm, he flew too close to the sun. The wax clogs in his wings melted as a result and he fell off the sky. The problem with Vikramaditya Motwane's fourth directorial venture isn't that it soars too high. Its problem is that it simply doesn't get off the ground. And this is definitely not for want of trying.