A hero's heroine: Kareena Kapoor in 'Singham Returns' doesn't blush, eats to her heart's content and doesn't need to be saved

New Delhi: Where there's a hero, there's always that waif-like creature, who constantly needs to be saved. Be it Louise Lane for Superman or Mary Jane Watson for Spider-Man, the presence of a powerful hero has always been accompanied by the classic heroine stock characters -- the ingenue, the prima donna or the damsel in distress.

Spoiler alert: The rest of the article contains a detailed discussion on some of the characters in 'Singham Returns'. If you haven't seen the film, we suggest you come back to the article after you have.

That is why we were slightly surprised when we saw Kareena Kapoor's character Avani in the latest Rohit Shetty film, 'Singham Returns'. Kapoor was neither playfully innocent, neither a attention-seeking drama queen, nor the perpetual trouble-attractor. She was funny, hearty and ballsy -- a character that comes as a complete contrast with what one imagines a heroine in a superhero film would look like. Because that is what 'Singham Returns' is, essentially. A superhero film.

Take the example of Kapoor's entry. She is made to officially meet Ajay Devgn's character Bajirao Singham for marriage talks. Avani greets Singham in a matter-of-fact manner, greeting him like an old friend (they are supposed to have grown up together). She takes him to a small Irani cafe, orders a truckload of food for herself, and between chomping down on bun-maska, masala omelette and Rooh Afza, she professes that she is not looking at settling down so soon. She is the owner of a successful beauty salon, and wants to expand.

But nowhere did we see any blushes, any shy glances any demure smiles.

For the lack of a better and aptly expressive word, I'm going to use the term 'ballsy' to describe Kapoor's character. Avani is not the prim type -- the kind who'd rather die of hunger that be caught hogging in front of an attractive man -- and she isn't afraid of getting into a fight either. She might drive a purple Nano, but Avani isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty. She is not afraid to laugh, neither does she mind people getting a laugh at her expense.

In an otherwise run-of-the-mill but entertaining film, Kapoor's character comes as a breath of fresh air -- simply because everything she says and does is unconventional.

Because Kareena Kapoor's Avani doesn't need saving. She can take care of herself.

####