Where is Mythological cinema?
Bollywood movie history starts with Raja Harishchandra in the year 1913! In other words, the sojourn of Hindi cinema began with a mythological story. This trend of adapting the stories from Puranas and epics of Ancient India and turning them into movies has continued for a decade or so. Later on, Bollywood cinema changed its focus towards folk-lores and then towards historicals like Mughal-e-Ajam, Laila-Majnu, Taj Mahal,Jhansi ki Rani etc.,From 1960 onwards all the movies are made with the contemporary social themes only, totally ignoring the other genre movies of mythological sort and folk sort.
The small screen efforts:
It is observed by the sociologists and psychologists that, the super success of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan and B R Chopra’s Mahabharat was happened on small screen, due to the negligence of the big bollywood cinema in filling the psychological gap that pervaded in the millions of the people! Actually,the thirst of collective unconsciousness of the Indians have craved for reminding the epic stories on the big screen. When they find the epic characters like Rama, Sita, Krishna, Arjuna, Vishwamitra on television, the hidden spirits have came up like anything and all sections of people had applauded them with their bhakti and viewed them with sheer holiness!
Even then the big screen has not tried its mettle to recreate the magic of mythological cinema in Bollywood! Now and then, certain animation movies like Krishna, Hanuman have came up but it is very much clear that, they have not satisfied the thirst of the masses totally. No doubt, the void and the gap is still there in the psyche of the movie-goers.
One and a half decade was passed away! Neither the big screen nor the small screen has made any considerable trials to explore the other areas of mythological themes worth turning them into movies or serials. Mahabharata as the largest story in all literatures of the world including the very ancient Greek and Romans, have hundreds of stories worth making the movies. Every sub-story of the Mahabharat having the punch and dum in making into a movie! Here, it is very much essential to mention that, many of the contemporary stories which got the appreciation from the public are knowingly or unknowingly woven from these mythologies only. But the main difference is that, they have been moulded within the frame of the contemporary social set-up and milieu! But, as-it-is making of the mythological stories have not been done by any bigwig in Bollywood so far!
Why mythologicals are not appealing to producers?
The reasons may be many! If we think from the point-of-view of the producers and directors and the actors, making a mythological movie is very expensive, high-budgeted and risky! The time required for making these genre movies naturally take long schedules and special preparations, make-up to the actors. Costume making, sets-erection will also a herculean task!
However,of late, certain efforts have been started in the bollywood just like an oasis in the desert to revive the mythologies on the screen! The very talented director, Rajkumar Santoshi, has taken that initiative now and all set to create a magnanimous big screen Ramayan with Ajay Devgan-Kajol duo as the Ram-Sita along with all the latest SFX and graphics. This high budgeted visual extravaganza will surely hit the hearts of the viewers and hope it will satisfy the thirst of them to relive the great cultural ethos of India.
Mythological cinema has become a past event in Bollywood. But it is the need of the hour now!
