What If Batman Was From Chennai?

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What If Batman Was From Chennai?
What If Batman Was From Chennai.jpg
Directed byTushar Ramakrishnan
Written byBalakumaran
Starring Delhi Ganesh
Aswin Rao
Sainath Saikrishnan
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli
Cinematography Niketh Bommireddy
Edited byPart 1:
Prashanth Tamilmani
Part 2:
Kripakaran Purushothaman
Production
company
Put Chutney
Distributed byYouTube
Release date
  • 8 April 2015 (2015-04-08)
Running time
Part 1:
8 minutes and 21 seconds
Part 2:
12 minutes and 34 seconds
CountryIndia
LanguagesEnglish
Tamil

What If Batman Was From Chennai? is a 2015 satirical viral video that offers a take on what if Batman didn't live in Gotham City and instead in the fictional neighborhood of Batmanabhapuram in Chennai. [1] The video shows Batman adapted to Indian standards including being part of a middle class family, wearing a lungi, being compared to his family friend Srinivasan's son who has an IT job, and getting a speeding ticket. [2] [3] The video also shows Catwoman wearing a sari and a bindi. [4]

Contents

Although this video shows Batman as commitment phobic, the sequel/prequel video titled Batman Returns... To Chennai | The Middle Ages deviates from the comics and shows Batman giving into Indian standards and marrying Catwoman. [4] [5]

Cast and characters

The inclusion of Iron Man in the video indicates that it is part of a shared DC-Marvel universe. [1] However, Iron Man was played by a different actor in the What if The Avengers Were From South India? video by Put Chutney.

CastMain videos
What If Batman Was From Chennai?Batman Returns... To Chennai | The Middle Ages
Delhi Ganesh Alfred / Anantha Padmanabhan
Aswin Rao Batman / Brusothaman Waynekatraman
Geevee Robin /

Robin with the toothbrush

Sainath Saikrishnan Joker
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Catwoman / Mythili
Geevee Vignesh Robin [a]
AnantharamanPolice ConstableInspector Garudan
BalakumaranWaiter
Scarecrow
Tushar Ramakrishnan Pillion Rider [b]
Crowd at TASMAC
Suvi KumarCrowd at TASMAC
Rajiv Rajaram Batman / Brusothaman Waynekatraman [c]
Crowd at TASMAC
Uma Padmanabhan Talia / Uma Aunty
T. M. Karthik Lucius Fox / Otteri Nari
Put Chutney Rajmohan Saroj Karuppasamy
— Poison Ivy
(Uncredited silent cameo) [d]
— Superman / Clark Kent
(Mentioned) [e]

Production

The video was made by the YouTube channel Put Chutney, which is owned by the Mumbai-based Culture Machine group, and its story is based on a meme by Balakumaran. [6] [9] Aswin Rao, assistant creative director of Culture Machine South, played the role of Batman, which he felt was easy since he wore a mask most of the time. According to him, the casting of Delhi Ganesh for the role of Alfred increased the scale of the project. [1]

Reception

Raveena Joseph of The Hindu wrote, "the video proves to be a laugh riot with a strong city connect". [1] A critic from NDTV wrote that the short film is "fun, but too long". [10] A critic from Firstpost wrote, "we dare you not to laugh". [11] A critic from the Hindustan Times wrote, "A desi Batman, more like a Tamilian Batman, is in the house, more like on YouTube. And he is hilarious". [12] A critic from IBN Live wrote, "This hilarious video by 'Put Chutney' tells us that "He's not the hero you deserve, but he's the mappillai (transl. groom) you need". [3] [f] A critic from Storypick wrote, "Put Chutney already had that evil idea when they made this fantabulously hilarious video of Batman, if he were from Chennai". [13]

Notes

  1. ↑ His identity as Robin is not revealed until Batman Returns... To Chennai | The Middle Ages and is previously shown as a loyal man to Batman.
  2. ↑ who calls Batman's cape a dupatta. [8]
  3. ↑ voice only
  4. ↑ who texts Catwoman in WhatsApp
  5. ↑ mentioned by Uma Aunty
  6. ↑ This dialogue is a play on "Because he's the hero Gotham needs, but not the one it deserves right now" from The Dark Knight (2008).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Batman on the prowl in Chennai". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  2. ↑ Malewar, Aditi. "WATCH VIDEO: What if Batman was from Chennai?". Indian Express. New Delhi. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Ever wondered what it would be like if Batman was from Chennai?". IBN Live. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025– via News18.
  4. 1 2 "When Batman Wore A Lungi, Was Called Tambi, And Got A Speeding Ticket". HuffPost. April 10, 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "When Batman from Chennai got married". The News Minute. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  6. 1 2 "What If Batman Was From Chennai? And Other Stories — Pop Junctions". Henry Jenkins. September 8, 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  7. ↑ "What If Batman Was From Chennai". Onlookers Media. April 8, 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  8. ↑ "A new face of comedy". Deccan Herald. 3 October 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  9. ↑ "What If Batman Was From Chennai? | Put Chutney". Put Chutney. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2025– via YouTube.
  10. ↑ Bose, Adrija (8 April 2015). "What If Batman Was From Chennai, Asks a New Video". NDTV . Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  11. ↑ "Guess what Batman's first job would be if he was from Chennai? This video has the answer". Firstpost. April 9, 2015. Archived from the original on 5 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  12. ↑ "Buzziest video of the day: What if Batman were from Chennai?". Hindustan Times. New Delhi. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  13. ↑ "What If Batman Was From Chennai? This Is Exactly How His Life Would Be". Storymedia. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
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