India is a unique country of deep religious faith and tradition wherein people owe their allegiance to a system of stories, legends, and hearsay which have been prevalent in society since time immemorial. As we know from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Ram, Luxman, Sita, and the Pandavas had traveled extensively in the country during their exile. So, in the case of a cave in a dense jungle, it would be said that Sita had stayed in it for quite some time, and in the case of a foot-like hole on a hill, it would be said that Bhim had once walked across the hill. Such stories have been in prevalence as hearsay from generation to generation without any history to support them. Still, people, out of their faith, believe in them, and this makes India and its people distinct from the rest of the world.
We have grown up in such a situation where the shastras and puranas are part and parcel of every household. At that time, television was not as widespread as it is today. Both Hindi and regional cinema were prominent enough to influence society. In this context, I remember my school days. I used to live in town, whereas most of my relatives lived in rural areas. Whenever there would be any release of a mythological film, they would not hesitate to come all the way to the town. It would be my duty to book tickets for them and bring them to the theatre in a rickshaw since, at that time, town buses and auto-rickshaws were almost conspicuous by their absence. Though I was small, it was not difficult for me to book tickets as, in all the cinema halls of our town, there were separate ticket counters and sitting arrangements for women and children. During this time, mythological films like ‘Bhakta Prahallad,’ ‘Bajrang Bali,’ ‘Har Har Mahadev,’ ‘Krishna Krishna,’ and others not only drew huge crowds but also left a lasting impression on us children. Let us try to understand the advantages of mythological films:
- Recreating the great tradition of India – India has a great and unique tradition replete with epics like the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Puranas. Most of these try to give the message of righteous living and the triumph of good over evil. There are innumerable stories and even characters on which movies and serials can be made. Through the making of mythological films, the great tradition of India is recreated before the audience, which makes people feel proud and nostalgic.
- Reminding people of the great heroes of the past – Mythological films and serials remind people of the great heroes of the past. There are hundreds of illustrious characters in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Puranas. Mythological films bring them to the fore, which is also a great source of inspiration for the people.
- Imbuing people with a spirit of spiritualism in a materialistic world – Mythological films play an important role in imbuing people with a spirit of spiritualism in a world of materialism. India is a country of deep religious faith, and such films and serials from time to time only try to strengthen it.
- Providing a source of entertainment – Before the advent of television, mobile phones, and other sources, cinema was the main source of entertainment. Even now, it continues to be a great source of entertainment, and there can hardly be a substitute for the magic of the big silver screen. Mythological films provide a lot of entertainment to the people.
- Teaching children a lesson – As a child, I still remember having seen and enjoyed ‘Bhakta Prahallad,’ the mythological film. Most of our shastras, Puranas, and epics are full of stories, that too with a moral. Children can see, enjoy, and draw a moral from such stories, which can guide them along the right path in life.
- Advancing cinema technology in the country – Cinema production is not the same as it used to be in the past. There has been improvement in almost all aspects of filmmaking, like videography, editing, etc. Mythological films and serials, for perfection, need special and graphic effects, which were just not possible in the past. Such effects were done with great difficulty earlier. Thus, the production of mythological films has definitely advanced cinema technology in India.
- Boosting regional film industries in the country – Since most people live in remote and rural areas and have a liking for mythological films, the regional film industries get a boost. In fact, the first Odia movie, ‘Sita Bibaha,’ was mythological. Since then, there have been many mythological films, most of which have done well at the box office and boosted the industry.
The impact of mythological films has always been there on the film industry since its inception. It may be mentioned here that the first Hindi movie, ‘Raja Harishchandra,’ was made in the year 1913 by Dada Saheb Phalke. The movie was mythological and not a talkie. The first Odia movie was also mythological. It was made by Mohan Sundar Dev Goswami in the year 1936. Since then, a number of mythological films have been produced in Odia with success. Mythological films have been produced in large numbers in the other regional film industries, keeping in view the craze and taste of the people in the remote and interior areas of the country.
‘Jai Santoshi Ma’ was a tremendous hit. It is seen that normally women from both urban and rural India, and people in general from rural India, have a great liking for mythological movies. Children also take a great deal of interest in them. It is because of this reason that mythological films are normally released on festive occasions and during major festivals in towns when people from rural areas rush to towns. I have seen people crowding cinema halls in towns like Sambalpur and Bargarh in Odisha during ‘Dhanuyatra’ and ‘Sitalsashthi,’ popular mass festivals. This shows how the people of our country have a craze for our tradition.
Mythological films have not been confined to the silver screen. Television has not lagged behind in the matter. Who can forget the aura of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the television serials which drew crowds not only in homes but also in public places and were a national mania? The Ramayana, telecast from 1987 to 1988, and the Mahabharata, telecast from 1988 to 1990 on Doordarshan, received the highest viewership and popularity with reruns on channels. Even now, many mythological serials are being aired on both government and private television media. Some of them are repeat telecasts, which still make interesting viewing. But there is no dearth of topics in our tradition and history for further new productions of mythological and historical films and serials.
Though the aura of mythological cinema has faded to some extent, the interest of film producers in the genre is not totally lost. Both in the North and the South, the craze is still there, though the number of movies has decreased considerably. In the past, actors like N.T. Rama Rao earned enough name, fame, and popularity for their roles in mythological films. Artists like Dara Singh and Jayashri Gadkar were also renowned for their portrayal of various roles in Hindi mythological movies. In the Ramayana and Mahabharata television serials, most artists had become almost synonymous with the characters of the two epics. With well-researched themes, well-written scripts, and good acting, mythological films and serials may assure good viewing, commerce, and success.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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