Kanku is a nine-year-old girl in a working-class Gujarati family who becomes convinced that her father is a real superhero. She turns that belief into a mission, setting out to prove it to everyone around her while navigating a tender and sometimes tense bond with her parents. What starts as a child's fantasy grows into a story about love, sacrifice and the quiet heroism of ordinary parents.
Mara Pappa Superhero began life on the festival circuit, premiering at the London Indian Film Festival in June 2021 before its Indian theatrical release in January 2024. Written by Raam Mori and directed by Darshan Ashwin Trivedi, it takes an almost fairy-tale premise, a little girl who decides her father must be a superhero, and uses it to look hard at class, family and the everyday sacrifices parents make.
The cast does the heavy lifting. Abhinay Banker plays the father Bhavlo, Shraddha Dangar of Hellaro plays the mother Teju, and young Bhavya Sirohi carries much of the film as Kanku. KIDS FIRST!, the American children's media jury, gave it four and a half out of five, praising the family's chemistry, Tapan Vyas's cinematography, and the way the lullabies in Nishith Mehta's score become a recurring symbol of love. That same review flagged the one real weakness, an opening stretch that takes too long to find its feet.
This is a small film with a warm centre. It leans on sentiment and its message can feel underlined, but the craft is genuine and the emotional payoff lands. With only a handful of IMDb votes it never reached a wide audience, which is a pity, because it is exactly the kind of wholesome, family-first Gujarati cinema that travels well beyond the state. Watch it with your parents or your kids and let the last act do its work.
Verdict
A tender, festival-bred family film about a girl who insists her father is a superhero. The craft and the cast make the sentiment earn its keep.
What works
- Warm, wholesome family story
- Strong ensemble led by Shraddha Dangar and Abhinay Banker
- High-quality cinematography and colour work
- Lullaby-based score that carries real emotional weight
What holds it back
- Slow opening act
- Message can feel over-underlined
- Sentiment occasionally runs heavy
- Barely released, so very few ratings
Cast & crew
Writers: Raam Mori
Music: Nishith Mehta
Cast: Abhinay Banker (Bhavlo), Shraddha Dangar (Teju), Revanta Sarabhai (Yash), Bhavya Sirohi (Kanku), Bhushan Bhatt (Jamburo), Bharat Thakkar (Jeram Mama), Priyanka Raja (Devika), Janushi Oza (Kiara)
Producers: Tejasvi Vidyut Buch, Milapsinh Jadeja, U.T. Rao
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Darshan Ashwin Trivedi
More Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Mara Pappa Superhero worth watching?
A tender, festival-bred family film about a girl who insists her father is a superhero. The craft and the cast make the sentiment earn its keep. Kevu Che rates it 4 out of 5.
What is Mara Pappa Superhero about?
Kanku is a nine-year-old girl in a working-class Gujarati family who becomes convinced that her father is a real superhero. She turns that belief into a mission, setting out to prove it to everyone around her while navigating a tender and sometimes tense bond with her parents. What starts as a child's fantasy grows into a story about love, sacrifice and the quiet heroism of ordinary parents.
What is the IMDb rating of Mara Pappa Superhero?
Mara Pappa Superhero (2021) holds an IMDb rating of 8.2 out of 10 from 23 votes.