There was a Rajasthani Super Mario before the Super Mario Bros Movie

Super Mario, the jumping Italian plumber, has been reinterpreted over the years by Nintendo. From being a secondary Donkey Kong character to leading his own franchise to even turning to a competent go-kart driver, Mario has done it all. In the cinematic format, a new animated movie aims to undo the sins of the poorly-received 90s live-action Mario film. 

In India, a few 90s and early 2000s era consoles (the ones with the “game cassettes”) introduced youngsters to Mario and his lore. Even if people have no former history in gaming, they would instantly recognise Mario as the character is almost synonymous with video games as a whole. So, it’s no surprise that multi-genre band Atrangi Funkaar came out with their own “Indianised” spin on Mario in 2022.

ALSO READ: Your guide to the iconic videogame Super Mario Bros before the Super Mario Bros Movie

A Rajasthani pop-rock song on Mario

With a hook that starts with the lines “Villain ki gaddi ke lehre gaddi bhagariyo, Thanne levan aave tharo Super Mario” (roughly translating to “outrunning the villain on a car, your Super Mario is here for you”), Atrangi Funkaar released SuperMario as a single off their album Funk Shastra back in February 2022. 

As the title and the Marwadi lyrics suggest, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Param sings from the perspective of a Mario who speaks in a Rajasthani dialect. To put it in Param’s words, “The song portrays a guy singing for a girl who is caged by an entire village that opposes her being with Super Mario, despite their love for each other. The lyrics convey his determination to come to her rescue, fight the villains and take her away to show her the world.” 

The song’s origins go all the way back in 2013 when Hindi-Punjabi-Rajasthani rapper Ruhaan was toying around with quirky lyrics in Marwadi. This is when he came up with the hook that Param fleshed out further.

When the two friends joined forces as then-duo Atrangi Funkaar in 2018, they decided to go ahead with a full-fledged Mario song. However, it was only by the end of 2019 when Atrangi Funkaar became a five-member act, “the song got a new avatar”. Before the release, SuperMario went through some audience trials. 

Atrangi Funkaar and their “filmy” inspirations

The band which mostly incorporates funk and pop-rock influences has had a flair for making their songs rich in cinematic storytelling. SuperMario bears testimony to this. In fact, the band just released a three-track EP called Filmy this year, each of its songs conveying a mood through an overly dramatic lens. 

Apart from Param, the ensemble includes guitarist Doleshwar Raj, bassist Avnesh Singh, drummer Bhupendra, and even a rapper Ruhaan (who occasionally also contributes to supporting vocals). True to their name, the members do project themselves at their “atrangi” (colourful) best with all of them dressed in vibrant costumes in their live shows. 

While their wardrobe includes 90s style Bollywood outfits for promoting Filmy, they still haven’t had the chance to wear any Mario and Luigi costumes while performing SuperMario!

It only seems apt for Indians to give this Rajasthani Mario track a listen right around the release of a new Mario movie. 

Princess in a haveli: SuperMario’s music video

Accompanied by a comic book-inspired animated music video (designed by Jeslina John), SuperMario covers the rescue of a Rajasthani Princess Peach from the clutches of her conservative family that have locked her up. It is up to our hero Mario (who strangely bears a thick moustache like the stereotype of a Rajasthani man) to be her saviour and give her the fairytale ending she deserves. The Italian character by a Japanese video game giant is perfectly localised for Indian tastes. 

For instance, Peach is trapped in a Rajasthani haveli instead of a medieval-era European tower like the games. The lyrics also reveal that her parents have forcefully arranged her marriage with a zamindar (landlord) only for Mario to climb up the haveli walls in typical Mario side-scrolling fashion. 

By the time Raj breaks into a guitar solo, the video’s Mario is greeted by a trapped Peach with open arms. She fits into the “damsel in distress” archetype by now but in the next frame, audiences find Peach riding on the pillion seat of Mario’s vehicle, a flying bike of sorts with cyberpunk influences. 

Seated behind her lover, Peach seems to be shooting down enemies with a futuristic gun, jumping in the action herself. 

The evolution of Princess Peach

The music video’s transition in Peach’s depiction intentionally or unintentionally goes on to show how Peach herself is evolving in the franchise. 2023’s The Super Mario Bros Movie also sets itself apart by giving more agency to Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) and turning Mario’s brother Luigi as the “damsel in distress” this time. 

For a long time, Peach was reduced to a Rapunzel-like figure, a blonde girl in a pink dress trapped by the turtle-dragon hybrid (or “koopa” as the Mario language goes) Boswer in a grim, lonely tower. Mario, along with Luigi, turned out to be her saviours. But with time, the games also began making Peach more assertive of herself as she even showed off her fighting moves in the Super Smash Bros franchise. 

In Atrangi Funkaar’s case, the band manages to use the damsel in distress trope for a story on forbidden love akin to local romantic folklore like the tragedy of Heer and Ranjha. Hopefully, the Rajasthani Mario and Peach don’t die and continue having more adventures. With the band members expressing their love for storyline-specific songs, SuperMario might soon get a sequel track.