Chhota Bheem in his action mode.
Photo credits: ChotaBheem.com
Every child in north India loves him, many more in other parts of the country adore him, he has taken POGO on Indian television by storm and he is many a parents’ dinner-time rescue mechanism. He is India’s very own dhoti-clad super hero: Chhota Bheem, reinvented from the Indian Hindu epic Mahabharata, tweaked by creator Rajiv Chakla into a nine-year-old super hero.
But who is Chhota Bheem? Is his influence good or his overriding popularity among Indian kids detrimental to the balanced growth of children in our country?
Bheem is an overstated macho kid, who saves his fictional village of Dholakpura, acts as a one-man army to the kingdom. Bheem is helpful to the village inhabitants, while his friend Kalia, a pesky character, annoys the hell out of a parent watching the cartoon strip together. Of course, he is a superstar amongst his friends Raju, Jaggu and Chutki, also a decision maker in political affairs of the kingdom with King Indravarma.
Just another fictional character inspired by the Indian Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bheem is a role model for Indian kids in a number of ways. He explains that good can defy the evil and delivers a simple moral note at the end of the show. His portrayal as an obedient child gives a positive message to young minds of our country. Having inspired by Bheem, my 6-year-old cousin, tried helping me when I was sad on an particular occasion, not so long back. Bheem is so kind hearted that he forgives his enemies such as Dholu and Bholu. Neither he wishes for revenge, nor he is a hyper-violent super hero. This gives a very positive message to the kids. He solves every mystery in calm-composed manner.
But Bheem‘s eating habits are definitely not a path for kids to imbibe. He loves his ladoo (sweet), apparently they give him all his superhuman strength and all the kids have this mis-conception that ladoo can make them powerful. Kids love eating ladoo, which has no good nutritional count.
There were cartoon characters like Popeye-The Sailor Man, who encouraged kids to eat spinach. Completely legit on the health index.
By the grace of his addiction to the sickly-sweet ladoo, Chhota Bheem can condemn monsters into the milky way with one hand, and kids feel over confident to fight like Bheem.
Such cartoon series should rather motivate kids, like Cartoon network series of Karate Kid – where Jackie Chan, a karate star, used to teach his niece the techniques of karate. In wake of this cartoon, many schools introduced karate classes and children flooded them.
All in all, Chhota Bheem inculcates values in young minds and connects them with their roots. However, it should give logical and useful messages to children.
Superheroes can easily leave a lasting mark on any impressionable mind – maybe its time for superheroes to make the job easier for parents as well and make the addiction fruitful.
Chhota Bheem is no different. And then he hardly goes to school – a food for thought for the creators of this quirky character.