Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; November 15, 2018)

The passing away of Marvel legend Stan Lee has left a deep void in the hearts of those who lived his vivid imagination. Lee’s first Indian superhero character was launched as a comic book — Chakra the Invincible — back in 2011. The comic revolved around an Indian teenager, Raju Rai, a tech genius living in Mumbai, who is determined to use science to unlock the secrets of human potential.

In 2016, it was reported that a live-action movie on the comic book will be directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.

We spoke to Vikramaditya about this and he said, “Stan Lee has been an inspiration to every comic lover in the world and I’m no exception. I met him four years ago in LA, and he was energetic, humourous and totally lovable. We’ve been working on an adaptation of Chakra and it’s sad that he won’t be able to see it come to life.”

Speaking of his favourite superhero character created by Lee, Vikram said, “My favourite character is Spider-Man because he is believable. He had problems and was an everyday hero. Spider-Man set the template for a whole generation of comics, and also for the subsequent mega-successful film adaptations.”

The director added, “It goes without saying that he has had an influence on my work, especially in Bhavesh Joshi. I will definitely miss his creations, humour and cameos.”