The Indian film industry’s longstanding love affair with Hindu mythology continues
THE INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH HINDU MYTHOLOGY IS ON THE RISE
TThe journey of Akshay Kumar’s latest film began in Ayodhya, at Ram Janmabhoomi. The Canadian citizen boarded a private jet along with his co-stars, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez, to “seek blessings” from Lord Ram. It was last year on Diwali that Kumar took to social media to announce the film, Ram Setu, directed by Abhishek Sharma (Tere Bin Laden) and creative produced by Chandraprakash Dwivedi (of Chanakya TV show fame). “Sach ya Kalpana (truth or myth),” wrote Kumar on Instagram. “This Deepawali, to perpetuate and secure the pious memories of Indian nation’s idol and superhero, Bhagwan Shri Ram, in the Indian psyche for eons to come, let us create a bridge which will keep generations connected with Ram. Ram Setu is our humble effort in this direction.”
The film is just one of many projects highlighting the Indian film industry’s current obsession with narratives rooted in Hindu epics and its characters. Currently being shot is Adipurush, a multilingual project featuring Prabhas as Ram, Kriti Sanon as Sita and Saif Ali Khan as Ravan. Other projects announced include Suryaputra Mahavir Karna, an “epic saga of the unsung warrior from Mahabharata”, written by poet and former politician Kumar Vishwas, and The Immortal Ashwatthama from Uri director Aditya Dhar with Vicky Kaushal in the lead role. Also in the pipeline are Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, Kangana Ranaut-directed Aparajita Ayodhya and the Deepika Padukone-produced and starrer Draupadi. Even the gestating Brahmastra, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt
By SUHANI SINGH
and Amitabh Bachchan, has been using Shiva as a recurring motif in its pre-release promotions.
What has inspired this surge of big-budget projects in the genre? For Suryaputra Mahavir Karna producer Jackky Bhagnani, Hindu epics never get dated. Their everlasting appeal, he feels, lies in their many “uplifting, emotive, powerful stories”. “I feel Mahabharata can be told from different points of view because it has so many layers yet to be peeled. As an old saying goes, most stories are inspired by the Mahabharata,” he says.
Vishwas believes that films invariably reflect the interests of the current political dispensation. “Over the past 6-7 years, public discourse has changed. There is a party in power for whom our culture and religion are priorities,” he says. But, Vishwas believes that more than dictating the kind of films being made, the political climate is “creating an atmosphere conducive for such films”. “When a Left-leaning government comes to power, issues like freedom of expression, women’s empowerment and LGBT rights, among others, are at the forefront. These days Ayurveda, yoga, dharma and Ram are relevant,” he adds.
Narratives in Hindi cinema have indeed always been intertwined with politics. During Lal Bahadur Shastri’s term as prime minister, Manoj Kumar made Upkar, propagating his slogan of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan (hail the soldier, hail the farmer)’, while Indira Gandhi’s Emergency saw filmmakers capture the anger towards the establishment through films like Kissa Kursi Ka and Ankush. Vishwas cited how Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha referenced the anti-corruption movement
featuring him and Arvind Kejriwal. “Public discourse changes with change in power and I don’t think it is wrong or bad. Politics influences all of us,” says Vishwas. The BJP’s slogan of “Jai Shri Ram” seems to be resonating with filmmakers now. Vishwas got the opportunity to work on Karna
after producer Vashu Bhagnani came across a YouTube video of the poet talking about the warrior from Mahabharata. Calling himself a student of history, Vishwas says he intends to tell the story with authenticity and responsibility. He claims to have rejected the bits that deviated from the Mahabharata. The onus, he believes, is entirely on the filmmakers to build and earn the trust of the audience.
Om Raut, who directed 2020’s most successful film,
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and is now working on
Adipurush, is also conscious of this responsibility. It may result in scrutiny but not all films based on historical characters and events, he says, offend public sentiment. “Because some have distorted common beliefs and facts, we can’t generalise and say any film with a historical backdrop will face backlash,” he says. “If you maintain the sanctity of the characters, chances of error will be minimal.” It’s this self-assurance that makes Raut seek inspiration in India’s “vast resource of history”.
Most producers are investing big money in epics, developing them in multiple languages and using visual effects heavily. Madhu Mantena is one such producer whose name is linked to both Tiwari’s Ramayana and Padukone’s Draupadi. Indian cinema’s journey, notes Mantena, began with stories rooted in our history, such as Raja Harishchandra,a
silent film by Dadasaheb Phalke. Decades later, Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana and B.R. Chopra’s Mahabharata on DD National kept millions of Indians glued to their televisions. Mantena says today’s generation needs to be told the epics via “new tools of technology”. His Ramayana, Mantena says, “is not just for India but...for Indians around the world who are proud of our stories and our cinema.”
It’s what Dhar also aspires to do with The Immortal Ashwatthama which will be the biggest production from Ronnie Screwvala’s banner, RSVP Movies. Dhar intends to use the character from Mahabharata to present a sci-fi action drama set in modern times. ‘We are working hard to create a visual spectacle that audiences across India would have never seen before,’ said Dhar in a press note announcing the film earlier this year.
To have big stars with box office credence to spearhead these projects only helps. Prabhas, whose popularity skyrocketed after playing Bahubali, was Raut’s first choice to play Ram. Padukone’s name is also being considered for Sita in Ramayana. “If a well-known actor with a wide reach and massive popularity is roped in, then the exercise of investment is more lucrative,” says Jackky Bhagnani.
It explains why Akshay Kumar, seen as a favourite of the BJP-led Union government and the face of its many PSA initiatives, was approached to play an archaeologist in Ram Setu. The genesis of Ram Setu dates back to 2007 when the filmmaker came across a court case “related to a project to build a shipping canal in the shallow straits between India and Sri Lanka and the issues the project was facing”, director Sharma told a leading daily. A team of archaeologists, historians and experts in religion and science were roped in to create a script backed by facts for the film, which, adds Sharma, is his attempt to “bring forward a true story that would connect generations of Indians to a part of our heritage that was not getting the attention it deserved”. With Kumar at the helm, it certainly will get its fair share. ■