Deconstructing The Modern Hero In Indian Cinema, Says Arjun Kapoor At The India Today Conclave In Mumbai

Jyothi Venkatesh

Talking at the India Today Conclave, Arjun Kapoor said “Therapy showed me that I must look at the glass that is half full rather than a glass that is half empty In a half-hour long speech”. Arjun Kapoor took audiences through a history of Hindi cinema as he highlighted how heroes have evolved over seven decades, reflecting changing in the cinematics of audiences. Beginning from Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand in the 1950s and ’60s and moving to the 1970s which saw the emergence of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan to the 1990s which saw the emergence and rule of the three Khans – Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman, Kapoor told of us the varying “hero types” we have seen thus far. For Arjun Kapoor, they were a reflection of the changing Indian society.

While the 1970s was all about the angry young man as played by Bachchan, the liberalization of Indian economy in the ’90s saw the aspirational India embrace the cool hero through films like DilwaleDulhania Le Jaayenge and Rangeela. Particularly noteworthy for Kapoor was the versatility of Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn who started as action stars and then went on to do comedy, followed by romance and drama. But ultimately was bowled over most by Bachchan as the actor who has “transcended generations” delivering a hit in Badla as recent as March 2019. He appreciated hoqhia contemporaries were also changing the definition of hero by playing a diverse range of characters with examples such as Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat and Varun Dhawan in Badlapur.

There is no hero type anymore. That myth has been shattered, says Arjun Kapoor. The story and the narrative is the new hero.The heroine is the hero too.Rani Mukerji, DeepikaPadukone, Anushka Sharma, KanganaRanaut and Alia Bhatt christened as “mini Meryl Streep” were celebrated as the leading ladies who can open a film on their own accord.The best friend is no longer a sidekick It’s hard to imagine Munnabhai without Circuit, Sanju without Kamlesh and 3 Idiots without Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan, which Arjun Kapoor believes is proof that people are watching more than just the hero. The hero can come from anywhere.

Audience empowerment means that the hero no longer necessarily has to speak in Hindi as evident by the success of Bahubali, the highest-grossing Indian film which featured Telugu superstar Prabhas, says Arjun. The relatability factor is more important today, says Arjun and adds, “Heroes no longer need to have extraordinary superpowers or six packs or know how to sing and dance. Their appeal lies in how they make their problems resonate with the audience”.

Talking about the changing vocabulary of films, Arjun says that words like “subtle” and “nuanced” are being used to describe a film which suggests that content has become most important.Greek God Hrithik Roshan was everything that Indian wanted to be. I have the biggest crush him and still become a shy girl in front of him. My uncle Anil Kapoor still looks younger than me. In fact I did a film called Mubarakan with him where someone said he looked like my younger brother. Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman set new benchmarks in Hindi cinema. The magnetic Khans travelled the world and reach the global population.“A movie no longer can be time pass, it has to be time well spent” signs off  Arjun Kapoor on how the advent of multiplexes has seen the fading away of single screens which were the temples of hero worship..

For more Bollywood updates, follow Bollyy!

Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Television, Telly News, Arjun Kapoor,  India Today Conclave