Akshay says H'wood superheroes are inspired by Indian mythology

As Indian mythological cinema gears up for a big-screen moment with Kannappa, Akshay Kumar sparks a cultural conversation—claiming that many Hollywood superheroes draw inspiration from ancient Indian tales.

Joining him, co-star Vishnu Manchu makes bold links between global pop culture and Indian epics.In a chat with Bollywood Hungama, Akshay Kumar shared his thoughts on Hollywood drawing inspiration from Indian mythology. Responding to a question about whether Indian stories are getting the platform they deserve, he pointed out that many global narratives, especially superhero tales, have roots in ancient Indian epics.Akshay went on to say that India is home to countless rich and untapped stories. He shared his belief that Hollywood often draws from Indian mythology, especially when it comes to superheroes and their powers. Highlighting the depth of local narratives, he added that even he wasn’t aware of the story of Kannappa until he began working on the film.Adding to Akshay Kumar’s point, Vishnu Manchu said he believes Star Wars was inspired by the Mahabharat. He also claimed that Spielberg’s E.T. took cues from a script written by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

This echoes the long-standing controversy from 1982, when many alleged that E.T. had striking similarities to Ray’s unproduced film The Alien, leading to plagiarism accusations.Akshay Kumar and Vishnu Manchu are set to appear in the upcoming mythological drama Kannappa, based on the legendary tale of Bhakta Kannappa, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. Vishnu plays the lead, with Akshay portraying Lord Shiva and Kajal Aggarwal as Goddess Parvati. The film also features Mohanlal and Prabhas in key roles. Produced by M. Mohan Babu, Kannappa was screened at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and is slated for release on June 27—just two days after the premiere of Brad Pitt’s F1, setting up a high-profile box office clash.