Aadi Keshava - Why Indian Superhero Movies Are The Best
Thoughts On: Aadikeshava (ఆదికేశవ, 2023)
A spoilt, but protective son is sent to find out who his true parents are by his adopted parents.
A tremendous spectacle of action and violence, Aadi Keshava is a prime example of the Indian superhero movie. Where American superhero movies work by developing reason around the bestowing of power on normal individuals or directly re-represent known gods, the Indian superhero film has - in my view - a far more profound and meaningful approach to technically establishing its heroes. It is therefore culturally implicit and metaphysically understood that Gods reside within human forms as our main characters in what we can deem Indian superhero movies. So while it may appear to the audience indoctrinated by Marvel and DC encountering a film like Aadi Keshava for the first time that some random guy just magically has the power to do whatever he wants without any justifications made in the plot, this is far from the case. There are clear symbolic markers - shrines, fire in eyes, the mane-like hair of our main character - throughout Aadi Keshava that indicate a god resides within him; a notion more widely applicable to a greater swath of Indian films with there being a common cultural notion in this area of cinema of the atman.
Seen from a simple perspective, the atman is a concept suggesting that there is one soul shared among all living beings, which (as is the relevant perspective in the context of these action movies) unites normal people with Gods. It is this concept that underlies the notion of reincarnation and avatars in Hindu mythology. The Indian superhero film commonly adopts this notion, presenting its heroes as avatars of gods, retelling well-known legends and myths. The hero of Aadi Keshava is therefore implied to be an avatar of Vishnu: in the context of this film, best described as the protector of good and preserver of natural order. More specifically he is named as a reincarnation of Narasimha, an avatar of Vishnu often depicted with the upper body of a lion, known for defeating the evil demon, or Asura, Hiranyakashipu. This story is played out in the modern context across Aadi Keshava with our main character defeating an evil king as to protect good and ensure social justice.
The brilliance of this approach to action heroes in my view comes from the cultural intertextuality that cites the meaning of myths and the symbology of their archetypes. Marvel movies utilising Thor demonstrate no substantial awareness of the archetypal god of myth and legend; they most certainly do not rely on the culturally understood meaning of his place in history and story (which doesn't really exist in America) to construct their narratives. They simply use his image and name to spin their own tales from a culturally divorced perspective. This is reversed in Indian superhero movies - and with brilliant subtlety: our character operates as a simple hero that we can attach greater symbology to at the recognition of his name. So whilst Aadi Keshava is in many ways just a brutal and gory revenge movie with elements of social justice found between its light and goofy romantic musical sequences, it retains a heart and punctum in its clear citation of greater cultural narratives, which elevates its statements made on child labour and the oppression of rural working classes and their women. For me, this makes for a rounded narrative that satisfies all of the cinematic senses. And above all else, it does so without excessive, boring farce: character transformations, mystic plot contrivances, costumes, magic potions, scientific backstories and all the alike. The focus is on epic and bombastic audio-visual storytelling through music and action, with violent action as an extension of the romantic dance sequences. For this, I highly recommend Aadi Keshava. Not a masterpiece (in fact it was a box office bomb) but I say this is a great action blockbuster and too much fun.
