In the name of Ram
Bollywood suddenly has many filmmakers keen on making movies based on Ramayana and Ayodhya
Ayodhya is the flavour of the season, and Ram is the hero. And that appears to also be the story of Bollywood. While Lord Rama may have never imagined that arrows would be fired from his shoulder, Bollywood filmmakers seem to be hoping to encash the fervour of the Ram factor that’s gripped the nation.
Producer Pahlaj Nihalani, who has made blockbusters such as Andaz, Aankhen and Shola Aur Shabnam, has now announced a film based on the epic Ramayana, called Ayodhya Ki Katha. Nihalani who has been planning this film since January has finally made the announcement with a poster release after the bhoomi pujan at Ayodhya.
“Yes, I had planned the film on Ramayana in January itself and I was surprised to see how the younger generation also seemed to love the stories of the Ramayana and the epics when those stories were telecast on Doordarshan during the lockdown,” Nihalani told us. “I have the director and the cast in place for the project and will be making the announcements in time keeping in mind the marketing needs of today.”
The former chief of the censor board, who has unabashedly worn saffron, tells us that he will start shooting soon. “I want to begin work on the film by November and release it during the next Diwali,” says the maker, adding sarcastically,
“The younger generation perhaps does not even know why Diwali is being celebrated.”
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Readers might recall that a few months ago even actress Kangana Ranaut had announced a film called Aparajitha Ayodhya. The film, for which she plans to take on the role of a producer, is based on the Ram Mandir court case after the verdict on the temple was announced. We hear she has now also planned to include the recent bhoomi pujan as a part of her script.
The film, scripted by K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, who is the creator of the Baahubali series, was to roll out this year. In an earlier interview with us, she had said, “The Ram temple has been a burning topic for hundreds of years. As a child born in the ’80s, I have grown up hearing the name Ayodhya in a negative light because the piece of land on which a king was was born, who was the epitome of sacrifices, became the subject of a property dispute.”
Kangana’s film is apparently about the story of the temple and how it was demolished by Babur. The story spans 600 years since then until the bhoomi pujan that happened recently. The actress also adds that the film will also talk about many Muslims who fought in favour of the Ram temple
“The case has changed the face of Indian politics and the verdict has ended the centuries-old dispute, while embodying the secular spirit of India,” Kangana further added.
Back then, Kangana talked about Aparajitha Ayodhya. “What makes Aparajitha Ayodhya different is that it is the journey of the protagonist from a non-believer to a believer. And as, in a way, it reflects my personal journey, I decided it would be the apt subject for my first production.” she had added.
Kangana’s film is apparently about the story of the temple and how it was demolished by Babur. The story spans 600 years since then until the bhoomi pujan that happened recently. The actress also adds that the film will also talk about many Muslims who fought in favour of the Ram temple.
Anil Nagrath, the secretary of the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA), says that a few titles have already been registered since the judgement came on the case. “And now after Ramayana started airing on Doordarshan as well as the Star Group, many people have rushed to register titles on Ram. So it is not only about the Ayodhya happenings, but also about what stories the filmmakers feel they have missed out on,” he says.
Another filmmaker working on a project based on Ramayana for the past one year is the Dangal director Nitesh Tiwari. Nitesh collaborates on the huge project with Allu Aravind and Madhu Mantena. It was assumed that Nitesh was working on the movie script and that Hrithik Roshan would start in it. For now, however, the director has dismissed all speculations stating that he would finish the script before casting.
Yes, I had planned the film on Ramayana in January itself and I was surprised to see how the younger generation also seemed to love the stories of the Ramayana and the epics when those stories were telecast on Doordarshan during the lockdown. I have the director and the cast in place for the project and will be making the announcements in time keeping in mind the marketing needs of today
— Pahlaj Nihalani, producer