The Great Grand Superhero OTT Release: Director Manish Saini On Why Meaningful, Family-Friendly Cinema Still Matters

The Great Grand Superhero: Aliens Ka Aagman, which hit the theatres in May this year, is set for digital debut on Zee5 on August 21. Backed by Zee Studios and Amdavad Films, the Hindi fantasy drama is directed by Manish Saini and is led by Jackie Shroff. It will be available on the streaming platform under its kids and family section. The film opened to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike and is expected to find audiences online upon its OTT release.

Purpose behind making The Great Grand Superhero

In a time when reality is quite dark and cynical, The Great Grand Superhero serves an important purpose.

Saina reflects on why such films are important. He says, "If you look at the film, we are talking about things like how we see the Earth, how aliens see it, and how much care we take of the green planet that we have; these are serious subjects. But if you are talking about something deep or something important, I think there is nothing better than communicating it in a way that people can understand easily.

He also recalls that after the film's theatrical release, they received comments where people said that it gave them a little relief at the time when so many dark films were being made.

"People said that watching it brought a smile to their faces. I am happy that we made something that is different and perhaps challenging in its own way, but isn't wrong. It may be offbeat, but it is still correct," he adds.

Saini also questions why "we have stopped making such simple, to-the-point films that can make you smile while saying something meaningful, films that you can sit and watch with your family," adding that "there is a shortage of such films."

Balancing fantasy and kindness

The Great Grand Superhero looks at the idea of heroism through a child's eyes and it's about courage and kindness that adults often forget.

Saini calls children "raw clay" and the things we teach or guide matter a lot.

"Today, there is a strong fascination with the image of a superhero. Children see superheroes who fly and have extraordinary powers. But after a certain age, when we grow up, we start feeling that there is nothing like fantasy, and that whatever is real and in front of us is what is correct. Somewhere along the way, that childhood innocence disappears. I don't think we can simply say that children should be taught about kindness and values and that they will automatically understand them. I think it is a mix of both things. It is important to tell children that just as it is important to fly and dream, it is equally important to be kind to someone, to share things, and to take responsibility. These things should also be a part of their understanding of heroism," he says.

He feels today we miss this "because we keep children fascinated by fantasy and take them slightly away from reality."

If fantasy and reality are presented together, he thinks children will perceive them beautifully. "That is also the responsibility of a filmmaker or a social communicator when communicating with children: what are you trying to tell them, and what do you want them to understand?," he concludes.