How popular sidekicks are based on Indian mythical archetypes
The saying that it takes two to tango or the philosophy of “ek se bhale do” has been prevalent in our popular culture since eternity. And classically, the hero and his sidekick in countless myths, folk lore, stories and movies have come to represent this. In a culture obsessed with babu/chela dynamic, the sidekick assumes an important imagination trigger. Though not as polarized as the chela is to his babu, there exists an understood power dynamic between the hero and his sidekick, the latter adapting to multiple roles. A study of the various sidekicks in our pop culture made apparent two distinct representational archetypes ; both tracing their roots in the two most popular Indian myths.
The Hanuman to Ram: Bhakti Bhav
Sarkeshwar aka Circuit will be remember one of the most memorable Bollywood characters for a long time. Setting the gold standard for sidekicks, he played the role of a constant life crutch for Munna. The character was an extended out of body horcrux of the protagonist himself, an integral cog in the daily functioning of his life. And for Circuit, Munna’s dictum or wishes were etched in stone, and he took it upon himself to carry them out sincerely; no questions asked. The sheer devotion as the side kick to Baahubali was also portrayed by Sathyaraj as Katappa, the general who was loyal to a fault. Though the plot concerning his forced betrayal could be sited as argument against it, the ethos and the arc of the character revolved around sworn allegiance to Prabhas. Fans of Mirzapur could think of this sidekick archetype being best portrayed by the character of Abhishek Banerjee, the compounder best friend of Munna, who let the latter mercilessly slit his throat after having been misled by him into a dangerous undertaking in the first place. Unlike loyalty that is forced through fear and coercion, as in the case of fabled villains such as the powerful evil king, the torturous local kingpin or the feared patriarch gang leader; loyalty in this case is born out of a genuine love and respect for the protagonist and a moral alignment with his/her values, ideals and mission. This applies to the equation between Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, arguably the most prominent duo in the country of late. It can be fairly argued that the PM holds sway and is feared by his subordinates, but the larger fact remains that most people in his immediate circle align with his thoughts and mission and see themselves as an integral element to help collectively realize it; Amit Shah being the poster boy of that zeal. The echoes of this bhakti bhav to the hero is found in our popular myth Ramayan; in the equation between Hanuman and Ram. Hanuman is the OG “bhakth”, the devoted sidekick who has etched his lord in his heart. Episodes from the epic celebrate the fact that no mountain is too big to move nor is any sea too huge to cross for Hanuman in his quest for fulfilling the wishes of his lord. He acts as the ever-dependable executive as well as the envoy who is the embodiment of the values of the protagonist. Unlike the familial bond with Lakshman, Ram’s equation with Hanuman is out of free will, as a mark of devotion to values rather than blood ties. Archetypically, What Hanuman was to Ram is effectively what Circuit is to Munna or Amit Shah to Modi.
The Krishna to Arjun: Guiding Compass
While the no questions asked bhakti bhav marks the first imagination, the second imagination which is more layered and nuanced makes for some of the most interesting duo relationships. The one character from Sacred Games who unanimously resonated with everyone was Katekar, the sidekick to Saif’s Sartaj. Like Circuit, Katekar was also the executive commander, on his heels to carry out any task at the beck of Sartaj’s call. But at the same time, he was not merely a foot soldier but acted as a guiding compass to the former. The values and morality of Katekar had a profound impact in shaping the course of the protagonist’s hero journey, most memorable in the dawn break scene at Juhu beach where he pragmatically laments the inevitable but necessary fate of the police community. The head constable played by Ashok Saraf in Singham essays a similar role, reinvigorating the resolve of the protagonist when he is about to give us his mission. The sidekick as the gyroscope that aligns the hero with his/her direction has been remarkably embodied by one of the most popular on-screen characters of recent times, MC Sher. He not only inspired Murad but acted as his scout, moral guide, mentor and literally the man who birthed “Gully Boy”. This characteristic of the sidekick as the uplifting mentor was evident albeit in a comic avatar in the character of wingman Barney Stinson and his equation with the protagonist Ted Mosby, which can easily be encapsulated in his famous “Suit Up!” catchphrase. The sidekick as the wise owl, the course corrector is the basis of the Krishna-Arjun relation. The hero of Mahabharat was having his doubts at the task ahead of shedding the blood of his family members over property issues, moments before the battle, and it was in this moment of vulnerability that his charioteer and friend Krishna assumed the divine form to allay his meandering thoughts and sharpen his resolve; the discourse popularly known as the sacred Bhagvat Gita. The sermon was essential for the faltering Arjun to engage in the actions that he was destined for, which ultimately determined the course of the war and his future life. As in this mythical story, the role of Katekar in Sartaj’s life and that of MC Sher in Murad’s life is equally important for the protagonist to overcome the hiccups and achieve the destined glory. On a lighter comic tone; characters like Pappi Ji played by Deepak Dobrayal, his equation with Irrfan Khan in the Hindi and English Medium franchise, or that of Md. Zeesahn Ayub in Raanjhna as Badri to Kundan are modelled on the same archetypical trope.
