Veteran actor Nirupa Roy earned the title of ‘Queen of misery’ in the 50 years of her career. For the uninitiated, she is the actor who featured as Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in nearly all of his films. Remember?
That’s Nirupa Roy!
In her prolonged acting career, she has played a Maa on screen to almost every erstwhile actor in Indian cinema. Roy not only featured as Dharmendra’s mother in the film Maa, she also essayed the role of Sunny Deol’s mother in Betaab.
However, today we aren’t talking about the ‘weeping mother’ we know her as, but the Superman we never knew.
Rather than finding herself in the middle of some sort of tragedy (like each time), the actor once got a chance to emerge as a saviour — a superhero.
In the era, where women were still being rescued from goons by the gutsy hero, she donned the spandex suit to save the world. Won’t believe us? See for yourself.
Nirupa Roy in and as Superman. Yes, this happened in the 1960 flick from Mukul Pictures, R.L.Suri’s Superman. Bollywood’s first ever Superman who had a Phantom like mask, & with super-dog & super-horse. A little homage to Bollywood’s most famous mom on her death anniversary pic.twitter.com/ZEjOFAahWA
— Srinwantu Dey (@srinwantudey) October 14, 2020
Back when films were mostly about women being coy, Nirupa Roy starred in the Anant Thakur directorial, which sadly didn’t get much recognition.
The overarching plot of the film focuses on Shanti, who is separated from her mother as a kid and is later adopted by a scientist. The latter discovers a serum that makes a person immortal and attain superpowers. After being injected by the serum, Shanti flies to save her city from Bandit Mangu.
Besides Roy essaying the titular role, the film also featured Jairaj and Helen. Also, a ‘super-dog’ and ‘super-horse’. Well, we aren’t aware of their abilities but isn’t it cool?
With a female lead, we don’t know why it was titled Super‘Man’. But at least they picked Nirupa Roy over the sought-after heroes for the homegrown superhero flick. Bollywood, what has happened to you nowadays? Isn’t it high-time we get a Superwoman of our own?
