The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, compared Indian epics with popular Hollywood superhero films such as Spider-Man, Superman and Avatar. On Friday, he inaugurated the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan (BVS) at the National Sanskrit University in Tirupati, where he stated that Hanuman is greater than Superman and that Arjuna is a far superior warrior compared to Batman and Iron Man.

Chandrababu participated in the inaugural session of the four-day national-level conference, which aims to bridge India’s traditional knowledge systems with modern science. As the chief guest, he stressed the importance of introducing children to epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana instead of exposing them only to Western superheroes.

“We must tell our children that the Ramayana and Mahabharata are far better than Avatar movies. Through these epics, they learn values and understand the difference between good and bad,” the Chief Minister said. He added that Lord Rama is supreme and that children should be taught about Rama’s righteous rule and leadership.

Recalling former Chief Minister and legendary actor N T Rama Rao, Chandrababu praised his contribution to mythological cinema. “At a time when mythology was fading, NTR made several films based on mythological stories and created awareness among the people. He was a great leader,” the Chief Minister said, adding that ethical values should be followed in politics as well.