MUMBAI: With Krrish, Rakesh Roshan, the most original grass root filmmaker in Hindi cinema, turned contemporary when he blended his old school emotion-romance-music formula into a superhero film. While he maintained all the necessary ingredients of Indian cinema, he gave his hero, Hrithik Roshan, extra ordinary powers which he uses generally to help people till his situation is challenged. In Krrish 3, Roshan decides to pit his superhero, Hrithik, with another such power, a super villain, Vivek Oberoi. In the process, Roshan compromises on things he most cherished that is Indian sentiments of mother’s love, romance, music which has been his forte and a strong script. Here it is a script of convenience. For example, his hero, who could not fly, starts doing so when the villain flies!!
Producer: Rakesh Roshan.
Director: Rakesh Roshan.
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangna Ranaut, Vivek Oberoi, Arif Zakaria, Rajpal Yadav, Rakhee Tandon.
In short, what Roshan has done is to take an age old family story and tried to fit it into a sci-fi superhero movie where, even holding the hero’s family captive by the villain is straight out of last century melodramas. The film is a virtual yellow pages of endorsements as, soon as the film starts you see a number of products being plugged.
Hrithik continues with his stint as the saviour superhero as Krrish 3 opens. But his sudden absence from his work costs him his job as he is presumed to be goldbricking. That is when the villain, Vivek decides to make his presence felt. He uses his genius for all the bad purposes. He is wheelchair bound with only his face and two index fingers functioning but which are enough to cause heavy damage or hurt someone. To cure his condition, Vivek needs a bone marrow from a person matching his own DNA. Having failed to find it in a human being, he mixes his DNA with various animals to create what he calls ‘maanvar’ a mix of maanav and janwar. To finance his experiments, he needs huge sums and to raise which he spreads dangerous viruses which kill thousands in a matter of minutes then cash in on it by marketing its antidote. He starts with an African country and looking at its success, decides to attack India next.
The deadly virus is spread using public transport, waterlines etc. The doctor who had found an antidote for the virus after learning of the plight of the African country has been killed by one of Vivek’s maanvars, Kangna Ranaut who is made mixing human and chameleon DNAs and, hence, can change forms.
When the virus spreads in Mumbai and people drop dead every minute, Hrithik Sr (father of Krrish) observes that neither he, Krrish nor Priyanka Chopra, pregnant with Krrish’s baby, have been affected by the deadly virus. He realises that the family’s superpower makes them immune and their DNA can be used to devise an antidote. That is achieved and the city is saved. This makes Oberoi a very, very angry man but also makes him think that there has to be a connection between him and Hrithik Sr since only one kind of DNA would be able to kill the virus and in some way they both must share the same DNA! It is midway through the film and the tone is set for confrontations as Oberoi wants Hrithik Sr in his custody, for in him lies his own cure.
Oberoi lets loose his variety of maanvars on Krrish household to kidnap Hrithik Sr which demonstrates their strength. The attempt is foiled by Krrish but in the process of doing so, Priyanka is hurt. Admitted to a hospital, she is whisked away from there and Kangna takes her form and takes her place. Her job is to find out how the antidote for the virus was invented. While she fails to do that and only ends up falling in love with Krrish and also imagines a love duet with him.
Hrithik Sr thinks that there is something curious about the events and feels its answer lies in Singapore where (in the earlier version of the film) Naseeruddin Shah had held him captive for long in a comatose condition. He does find out the secret behind Oberoi’s birth but is kidnapped by Oberoi’s goons. Oberoi needs his bone marrow to cure himself; because he has to be on his feet for the final showdown with Krrish.
The long drawn dual between Oberoi and Krrish, spread over instalments, starts in the former’s den and moves out to various streets, skies and rooftops with a lot of destruction and a generous dose of special effects. The film ends with a promise of the next instalment of Krrish series as Priyanka delivers a baby boy with superpowers.
Rakesh Roshan is handicapped by a solid script and an interesting story to tell. The scene where Krrish races over buildings to save an airplane with locked front wheels as he jumps on to them and forces them open to make a safe landing possible promises a lot. But, the film moves only on predictable lines. With other ingredients like romance and music missing, the director has to count mainly on special effect sequences which, of course, are very well executed. The film has just three songs of which Raghupati Raghav is well choreographed while Dil tuhi bata… has some melody element. Background score is effective. Dialogue could have provided some one-liner exchanges between good and evil but are a letdown being of mediocre kind. The film has few characters of which Hrithik excels in both the roles he plays. Kangna shines in a negative role. Priyanka has limited scope and is good. Vivek Oberoi makes an impact in certain scenes till wheelchair bound but turned into an ironman in the climax restricts him.
Krrish 3 does not in any way better its earlier version, Krrish; on the contrary it disappoints on some counts. However, due to solo Diwali release and a long gap for a Hrithik film to hit the screens will benefit as the film’s brand equity assures at least one time view for most cine-goers.
