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Bollywood's First Female Superhero: Nirupa Roy's Forgotten Legacy
4 Nov
Summary
- Nirupa Roy, Bollywood's 'eternal mother', was the first on-screen female superhero
- She played a superhero named Shanti in the 1960 film 'Superman'
- Nirupa Roy's early action heroine roles were overshadowed by her later 'crying mother' roles
Decades before the era of high-octane Bollywood heroines, Nirupa Roy, known for her 'dukhiyaari maa' roles, was the first on-screen female superhero in Indian cinema. In 1960, she starred in the film 'Superman', playing the protagonist Shanti, the adopted daughter of a scientist who creates a serum granting the ability to fly and become indestructible. Shanti uses these powers to defeat a bandit terrorizing the people.
While Hollywood's first major Superman film came out in 1951, Bollywood had already witnessed its first 'superman' in the form of Nirupa Roy's character. This was long before Hrithik Roshan donned the Krrish mask or Kalyani Priyadarshan's recent turn as the female superhero in 'Lokah: Chapter 1'.
Sadly, Nirupa Roy's bold early filmography was later overshadowed by her typecasting as the 'crying mother' in melodramatic Hindi films. Many were unaware that the same woman had once leapt into the sky and saved the day as a superhero. As the industry celebrates more female-led superhero stories, it's important to revisit Nirupa Roy's pioneering role and acknowledge her as Bollywood's first female 'Superman'.
