Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is all set to release in India on 2 June. The upcoming film introduces the first Indian Spider-Man of the animated franchise, who is currently in talks.
Named Pavitra Prabhakar, the Marvel superhero is a dhoti-clad Indian, who will be voiced by cricket star Shubman Gill in the film's Hindi and Punjabi dubbed versions.
But did you know that the idea of an Indian Spider-Man was actually conceptualised by none other than the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray?
As per reports, Ray once met Stan Lee and casually mentioned to him the idea of a Desi Spider-Man. Lee was thoroughly impressed with Ray's input, so he asked him to send him a few concepts for the character.
Ray reportedly put his vision on paper; however, he couldn't fructify the forethought result in his lifetime.
Years later, Ray's idea of an Indian Spider-Man was brought back to life after Indian writers Suresh Devarajan, Jeevan Kang, and Suresh Seetharaman started working on the character envisioned by him.
The writers introduced Pavitra Prabhakar, a small-town Marathi boy who moves to Mumbatten to pursue his education. After the death of his parents, he lives with his aunt Maya and uncle Bhim in Mumbatten.
As per the film's official synopsis on IMDb, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows the story of Miles Morales catapulting across the multiverse, wherein he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash over how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.
The film is directed by Joaquim Dos, Santos Kemp Powers, and Justin K Thompson. The film's lead characters, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacey, are voiced by Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld, respectively.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)