The Bapparaj of Hollywood

Actor Bapparaj has become a "meme material" for his typecast roles in Bangla cinema. If any 90s movie had a tragic hero dying in the climax, chances are it was our Bappa bro. 

Bapparaj is predominantly known for playing the role of possessive "would be" boyfriends. In broad strokes, he is the kind of "beta" (guy) the heroines flirt with but never intends to live with happily ever after. Bro is just too neurotic to be an ideal husband. He can be a fling at best.  
But the more I am cornered by the existential dread amid the shutdown, the more I ask myself: Does Bappa bro have a counterpart in

Hollywood? Do our Western brothers have their own version of Bapparaj to look up to? 

As a matter of fact, they do. If I had to pick one guy to be named the "Bappraj of Hollywood", it would be the actor James Marsden. Never heard of him? Yeah, I figured. Certainly, a guy who has been dubbed (by yours truly) as the Bapparaj of Hollywood, he is anything but the Bradley Coopers and Chris Hemsworths of the show business. Remember that mutant dude from X-Men? Yes, It is him! 

Now I will talk about some of James Marsden's notable movies (where he is the fifth most important actor or so). These movies are a testament that he is the American version of Bapparaj. Just like Bappa bro, Marsden had been denied the attention of the female lead and would end up being a tragic third wheeler. 

In X-Men (2000), Marsden plays the mutant superhero Cyclops - who could shoot laser beams out of his eyes. But even such power could not cocoon his insecurity about his girlfriend. Jean Grey, Cyclops' love interest eventually falls for another superhero called Wolverine. It was only the beginning of Marsden's baptism as the Western Bapparaj.

In "The Notebook" (2004), Marsden played Lon Hammond Jr, a WW2 soldier; charming and successful- Lon was too perfect to be a lover. He fell in love with Allie (Rachel McAdams). But as Marsden was destined to walk in the shoes of Bapparaj, he was inevitably zoned out by his girl. 

Marsden may have been the running joke of this "Bapparaj complex"- but his misery does not end here. "X-Men 3" and "Superman Returns" came out in the same year (2006). As soon as you start thinking; whoa! This guy has done both Marvel and DC films...I would cut your mid-sentence and say, In X-Men 3, Marsden is killed by his half girlfriend Jean Grey and in Superman Returns, his character marries Lois Lane, Superman's ex-girlfriend. This man is the only actor to be "swiped left" by both, Marvel and DC female leads. 

Marsden has played a Disney prince as well. In the 2007 fairy tale movie Enchanted, he plays Prince Edward, a Shakespearian hero who voyages across kingdoms to find his lover Giselle (Amy Adams). Giselle, the fairy tale girl, politely dumps Edward for a lawyer guy.

If you ever felt bad about being rejected by someone, always remember - James Marsden has done some 30 films, 13 of which were about love triangles.  

Truly, he is the Bapparaj America deserves, but does not need right now.