Apr 12, 2026 6:26pm IST
‘Raaka’: Allu Arjun And Atlee’s Movie High on Sci-fi; Is There A Hidden Indian Mythology Link We’re Missing
The unveiling of Allu Arjun’s look as “Raaka,” in Atlee’s film was one of the highlights of the week. While fans hyped it up, neutrals felt it was disappointing given the unprecedented hullabaloo around how Atlee and the superstar spent months debating over the first look. Well, social media believes that “Raaka” is a werewolf given the claws and fur on his hand. Movies around werewolves are quite common in the West. It is not very different from the indigenous shape-shifter (Ichhadhari) lore that has spawned the Naagin films and TV franchise in India.
India too explored the werewolf concept with Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon’s “Bhediya,” by Amar Kaushik. It was inspired by local legends in Northeast India where people believed humans can transform into creatures through supernatural events. However, these were seen more as protectors than malevolent beings.
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The first look of “Raaka” does not reveal much but it seems like Atlee is planning a spectacle that is a visual and action feast. In the West, we have had the “Underworld” series and the 1956 movie, “The Werewolf,” that spoke about radioactive mutation. One of the characters in Fred F. Sears’s movie, “The Werewolf” is a scientist. With the reported sci-fi elements in the movie, these are the references that instantly come to our mind.
Younger audiences have loved the “Twilight” series that combined young love, romance and action between vampires, werewolves and humans. The 1981 movie, “Howling” by Joe Dante was a horror flick where a news anchor was caught in a resort inhabited by werewolves. The same year we had the supernatural comedy, “An American Werewolf in London.” In a nutshell, Western cinema has been flooded with werewolf tales in all genres. The French film, “Brotherhood of the Wolf,” (2001) was an action spectacle around a beast peppered with a lot of mixed martial arts and CGI. The upcoming 2026 movie, “The Wild” is also about human beings turning into werewolves on a distant planet.
But where do werewolves or wolves sit in Indian mythology? Unlike the Naagin stories around snakes or the countless tales of the Royal Bengal Tiger in West Bengal involving the divine and supernatural, werewolves are not that prominent in common Indian folklore or mythology.
This makes us again wonder about the Indian elements of “Raaka.” It is quite possible that it is a sci-fi werewolf actioner with strong elements of family. But here is more ... .Indian mythology has more of wolves than what we saw in “Bhediya.”
Wolves are associated with Yakshas who are seen as guardians of wealth. In “Harivamsa,” (a supplement of the Mahabharat”) Lord Krishna created 100 of wolves from his own body for a cause. Bhima, the second Pandava brother was also described as Vrikodara (wolf-stomached) highlighting his immense power and strength. In Ṛjrāśva, there is a myth associating a she-wolf with the Ashvins (divine twins).
So, as we wonder if Atlee and Allu Arjun’s “Raaka,” will be similar to Western sci-fi action event films, there are chances of the story hitting closer to home.
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