Recently, while promoting his new Superman movie, James Gunn was shown a clip from an unusual Marvel-DC crossover that happened in Bollywood decades ago. The clip in question? The now cult classic song from the 1988 film Dariya Dil, titled "Tu Mera Superman", featuring Govinda dressed as Superman and Kimi Katkar as Spider-Woman. The two dance through city streets, soar through the skies, and fight off goons - all in full superhero regalia. ‘Superman’ Movie Review: David Corenswet Flies High in James Gunn’s Politically Daring Yet Overstuffed Superhero Saga. Gunn had earlier shared a meme featuring Govinda’s Superman get-up on social media, and when asked about it in an interview, he laughed and said, "I love that. It’s the best!" 'Dariya Dil' - Not Quite a Superhero Crossover Film… While we are talking about the cult song, let's also remind you that Govinda is not actually playing Superman in Dariya Dil, and neither is Kimi Katkar a hot Spider-Woman. Watch 'Tu Mera Superman' Song From 'Dariya Dil': Instead, this is simply an imaginary song sequence, while the actual movie, directed by K Ravi Shankar, is a typical 80s masala potboiler of revenge, action, and family drama. ‘My Favourite Superman Movie’: James Gunn Has Finally Discovered Govinda’s Cheesy ‘Marvel X DC’ Crossover From 1988! India’s Long and Quirky History with Superman Though Dariya Dil never intended to create a superhero story, Indian cinema has, over the years, produced several unofficial Superman movies - all of them strange, low-budget adaptations of DC's iconic hero. Here's a look at some of the most fascinating examples: Superman (1960) [caption id="attachment_7001689" align="alignnone" width="856"] Nirupa Roy as Superman[/caption] Did you know Nirupa Roy, known perennially as the tragic mother in potboilers like Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, had played what could be India's earliest portrayal of Superman in 1960? Bizarrely, the movie wasn't named Superwoman, and what's more, it has her wear a Phantom-style eye mask and wield knives and a gun. The movie was directed by Anant Thakur and features Jairaj as the male lead. In fact, this could be the second movie adaptation of Superman ever made in cinema, since the first Superman film - Superman and the Mole-Men - came out in 1951, and there is no proper record of any Superman movies that came in between. Nirupa Roy Birthday Special: Here're Five Lesser Known Facts About The Legendary Actress Who Defines Maa In Cinema. Unfortunately, our Superman can be considered a lost movie since no print is available online, which cannot be said about the next entry... Return of Mr Superman (1960) [caption id="attachment_7001688" align="alignnone" width="1406"] Pandi Jairaj in Return of Mr Superman[/caption] In the same year, Hindi cinema released another Superman movie called Return of Mr Superman, directed by Manmohan Sabir. The black-and-white film has Paidi Jairaj play the desi Clark Kent/Superman, with the movie acknowledging his alien origins via a bizarre narration at the beginning that delves into evolution and all. In the movie, our local Superman takes on a gang of smugglers, though he spends most of his time romancing the heroine and singing songs with her. His costume is also hilarious - mostly a black suit and a drag racer mask. The full movie is available to watch on YouTube. Superman (1980) [caption id="attachment_7001687" align="alignnone" width="1626"] NTR in Superman[/caption] The late NT Rama Rao (NTR) - father of actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna and grandfather of RRR superstar Jr NTR - was one of Telugu cinema's biggest superstars. His immense fan following even led him into politics, eventually becoming Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years. In his illustrious career that spanned over 300 films, he also turned superhero - or rather, Superman - in a 1980 film by the same name. In the film directed by V Madhusudhana Rao, NTR plays Raja, who is not an alien from Krypton, but rather a normal human being from Earth who, as a child, gains superhero powers after praying to a Lord Hanuman statue (of course). Released two years after Richard Donner's classic Superman (featuring Christopher Reeve), this Telugu Superman is the first to don the classic red and blue suit of the Man of Steel, though his emblem is ‘H’ instead of ‘S’, as a tribute to Hanuman. Jaya Prada is the female lead in the movie. The full movie is available to watch on YouTube. Superman (1987) [caption id="attachment_7001686" align="alignnone" width="1006"] Puneet Issar in Superman[/caption] A year before Govinda wore the Superman suit, Puneet Issar - best known for playing Duryodhan in BR Chopra's classic serial Mahabharat (and for sending Amitabh Bachchan to a near-death state in an accident during the Coolie shoot) - became Superman in this 1987 movie directed by B Gupta. Unlike the other movies in this list, this is an actual (albeit unofficial) remake of the 1978 Superman movie, following the plot nearly to a T. Watch a Clip From 'Superman': View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goldmines Telefilms Pvt Ltd (@officialgoldminestelefilms) What’s interesting about the casting is that Dharmendra played Jor-El, Superman’s biological father, in a cameo role, with Ranjeeta Kaur as his biological mother, Lara-El. Shakti Kapoor played the antagonist, a sleazy Lex Luthor. The cast also included Ashok Kumar, Sonia Sahni, and Jagdeep. The full movie is available to watch on YouTube on Goldmines' official channel. Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman (2009) [caption id="attachment_7001685" align="alignnone" width="974"] A Still From Supermen of Malegaon[/caption] Of course, how can we not mention the famous Malegaon film industry and its funny but oddly affectionate parodical adaptation of Superman? Directed by Nasir Shaikh, Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman features Shafique Shaikh as the local flying hero - a role that comes with a tragic backstory, as Shaikh passed away the following year battling cancer. The making of this film and the team’s other parodies were covered in the acclaimed documentary Supermen of Malegaon by Faiza Ahmad Khan (available to watch on YouTube). This documentary recently inspired a Hindi film - Superboys of Malegaon - directed by Reema Kagti. Starring Adarsh Gourav as Nasir Shaikh and Shashank Arora as Shafique, the film beautifully recreates the making of Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman, ending on a touching note. ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ Movie Review: Reema Kagti’s Best Film Is a Heartwarming Underdog Triumph With Stellar Performances! India's fascination with Superman has yielded a wildly eclectic mix of films, ranging from emotional tributes to unintentional comedies and full-blown parodies. So the next time someone talks about the multiverse, remember - Indian cinema already built its own bizarre Superman-verse decades ago.