PUNE: Politicians are in canvassing mode on ground, while a parallel campaign has gathered momentum on social media. In this version, candidates arrive as AI-generated fictional characters, speak fluent Marathi and navigate ward-level politics with ease.Satire accounts have been posting AI-generated reels imagining fictional characters entering the civic fray. The result is relatable election season entertainment. The faces belong to global pop culture, but the accents, anxieties and ambitions are unmistakably local.One reel from the satire account incthanos features Marvel’s altruistic villain Thanos announcing his candidacy from Congress, welcoming democratic competition and the opportunity to place his vision before people. He immediately responds to Tony Stark’s declaration of intent through the BJP. What elevates the joke is not the party alignment, but the detail. Thanos is seen holding a Shakti Pradarshan rally from Powder Galli to Gokuldham Society, a route that places an intergalactic figure squarely within the everyday geography of the city.In another clip, he alleges a conspiracy by Stark before mentioning support calls from “Loki Bhau” and “Ultron Dada”. The respectful Marathi suffixes add to the fun. Power struggles sound less apocalyptic and more street smart. Campaign language is borrowed liberally, delivered with a straight face and never pushed to name or shame. Spider Man has also entered the race, announcing his candidacy for the Shiv Sena. In his pitch, he insists he is “not Spider Man, but a common man”, pledging to work for the welfare and development of his ward. Appearing on Shaktiman Bhau’s podcast to discuss welfare schemes and unemployment, the humour lies in how convincingly he adopts the language of everyday politics, turning a superhero’s identity crisis into a campaign slogan.Behind several of these reels are Mumbai-based advertisement filmmakers Prathu Rathore and Sumeet Shah, partners who began posting AI-made videos featuring Tony Stark, Thanos and the Hulk.“We are independent and our aim is to create satirical content. We do not want to get involved in the elections or influence anyone. This is pure entertainment — something people enjoy watching. People approached us asking to be portrayed in a positive light, but we have stayed away from that. We do not want to do soft propaganda for anyone,” said Rathore.The process has been deliberately unstructured for Shah. “There was no master plan. We were just experimenting. The humour came from playing with familiar stereotypes,” Shah said.The realism was better than they imagined. “The account we created for Tony Stark, portrayed by Robert Downing Jr, was suspended for impersonation because the videos looked very realWe turned that into a storyline where Thanos uses his powers to remove Iron Man from the election race. If the account comes back, the story will change again,” Shah said.The response has been overwhelming. “One video crossed over 12 million views and many others are in a similar range. These videos are being watched, liked and forwarded not just in Maharashtra, but abroad,” Rathore said.Rathore and Shah are part of a wider wave. Other creators have drafted characters like Vecna and John Wick into Maharashtra’s fictional political scene, expanding this reel-life election into an increasingly crowded ballot.The appeal lies in the built-in fan following of the characters and the instant recognition they bring. “Seeing Thanos in a crisp white kurta speaking fluent politician Marathi was not on my bingo card for 2026, but here we are,” said Rupali Singh, an education professional from Mumbai.Sharmila Joshi, a viewer from Pune, said, “Real political content can be exhausting. These reels feel like a breather because they sound exactly like what we hear every election, just delivered by a character we could never imagine in such a setting.”
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