Nerve Endings Firing Away

It seems like the good folks at Virgin Comics are working overtime at cranking out desi superheros. First they launched with much fanfare with an idea of tapping into our immense treasure chest of mythological tales. And then they even made Sachin Tendulkar into a superhero. Yeah, I know as if that dude needs any more fame and help in creating a demi-god status. But now they are cashing in on fulsome Bollywood heroines.

Priyanka Chopra is getting her own superhero (superheroine?) character in the next series of Virgin Comics. Apparently, her next movie titled Drona has her playing bodyguard to Abhishek Bachchan who is a superhero. Otherwise a morass of stupidity, the first comment on the linked Rediff story echoed my first thought when I read that line – a superhero needs a bodyguard? If I know my Mahabharat correctly (update: guess I don’t. See comment), then Drona was killed by a eunuch (Shikhandi) so probably this bodyguard is supposed to ‘protect’ Drona from that Shikhandi when the need arises. Otherwise the job description seems routine. Be awed by the feats of the superhero you are guarding.

But other than that, don’t expect her to be the next Lara Croft. The Virgin Comics official line for her character is “The superhero in question is an adopted girl who discovers she is the latest in a line of princesses with great mystical power and a sworn duty to take down evil wherever it lurks.” Seems like one of the character from Heroes except for the princess bit. But of course, otherwise how would she be Indianized, right? Why the fascination with royalty and India? It is not like we still have kings and princess roaming around (except for the occasional gay one). Would it be more accurate for the stereotyping kinds to have a superhero working in a call-center as a plain Ramu (yeah, just like a modern day version of Clark Kent). But then we can’t copy everything from the Western media, right? How about Indianized Manga comics, huh?

Update: I majorly goofed up with the slaying of Drona story. Jabberwock rightly pointed out that Shikhandi was responsible for killing of Bhishma, not Drona. My would-be father-in-law who also reads this blog wrote in to correct me as well. He says, “Drona was killed by Dhristadyumna, Draupadi’s Brother. It was Bhisma who was killed by Shikhandi, since Bhisma refused to take up arms against some one who was not a man. Shikhandi was not an eunuch. He was born a girl, who underwent a sex change.” I guess I should go and revise my Mahabharat lessons now. The whole “Naro waa Kunjarovaa” incident makes it one fine tale in ethics and battle.