Chakra: The Invincible – When Stan Lee created an Indian superhero

Stan Lee, the man who heralded a new pop culture in the US in the early ’60s with his complex and often morally twisted superhero characters, passed away on Monday after a lifetime spent in redrawing the boundaries of the literary genre. Lee is credited with introducing dozens of characters in collaboration with artists such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko during his stint at Marvel Comics. In a long career, Lee co-created characters like Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men.

But, a very few people would know that he had also created an Indian superhero – Chakra – which was set to get a live-action film. Stan Lee’s company POW! Entertainment had co-created this character with Sharad Devarajan and Gotham Chopra, the co-founders of Indian graphic entertainment company Graphic India.

The character was launched with a comic book titled ‘Chakra the Invincible’ in 2011 and two years later, an animated film on him was launched on Cartoon Network India.

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The story revolved around a young Indian boy named Raju Rai from Mumbai. Raju develops a technically advanced suit with his mentor Dr Singh which activates the mystical chakras of the human body, unleashing powers and abilities. He takes on the criminals in the city with Boss Yama being his arch-villain.

In 2016, it was announced that Vikramaditya Motwane will be directing a live-action movie titled – “Chakra The Invincible”. Graphic India and POW! Entertainment had announced a partnership with Phantom Films, to begin pre-production of the film.

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“I’m a fan of Bollywood films and I am really excited about launching ‘Chakra the Invincible’ as my first Bollywood superhero movie. Vikramaditya is an amazingly talented filmmaker who I have no doubt can make the Chakra film a massive hit in India and around the world. I only hope he remembers to include my cameo!,” Lee had said, in a statement.

Motwane too had told IANS that it was an “honour and an absolute delight to be making a film based on a Stan Lee character.” Motwane had added that he plans to take comic book filmmaking to the next level with Chakra and won’t forget a Stan cameo too.

But, nothing moved since then and the film suffered a major setback after Phantom Films was dissolved this year. Now, with the demise of Stan Lee, the film faces uncertainty.

Sharad Devarajan expressed grief on Lee’s demise. “@TheRealStanLee was a mentor, friend and inspiration. His characters and stories have brought joy to billions, and his genius as a storyteller was only surpassed by his kindness as a human being,” he tweeted.