After Adipurush was delivered last week to unfortunate reaction, crowds have begun searching out different renditions of the incredible Ramayana. Movie producer Vikram Bhatt, whose little girl Krishna Bhatt is making her first time at the helm with 1920: Horrors of the Heart brought back memories of Ram Rajya, directed by his grandfather Vijay Bhatt and released in 1943. Ram Rajya, according to him, was Mahatma Gandhi's only movie.
Vikram thought back to the stories his grandfather had told him about the time Mahatma Gandhi saw the movie and enjoyed it because he was a "Ram Bhakt." Vikram revealed in an interview with The Times of India that Gandhiji watched Ram Rajya's preview on a Monday and was observing a maun vrat, or vow of silence, that day. He stated, "He came and saw the film. He was also a Ram Bhakt." It was fortunate for my grandfather to sit next to him and show him the movie.
Vikram also said that Gandhiji only had about 40 minutes to watch the movie. However, after the preview ended, Gandhiji was so caught up in the movie that he gestured to keep the show going "because he wanted to see more of Ram ji's life." Vikram claims that Gandhiji's enjoyment of the film was its "biggest success." According to Vikram, the film earned more than Rs 55 lakh on a budget of less than Rs 5 lakh and had its US premiere prior to its release in India. Rama and Sita were played by Prem Adib and Shobhna Samarth, respectively.
In the meantime, Om Raut's Adipurush, which stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan, has received a lot of criticism due to its awkward VFX and overtly informal dialogue. Although Vikram admitted that he hasn't seen the movie, he said that such films are "about belief, faith, and worship" rather than being made to entertain the audience or make money at the box office. The filmmaker stated, "People in the olden days used to build temples of their favorite deities. Making films on religious subjects is similar to building temples." It was not done for money. They did it as a form of worship and gratitude.
Vikram shared a memory of his grandfather's film earlier this week on social media. He wrote, "It was a testament to his faith in his God, and it was this same faith that he held close until the day he died." Some movies do more than just entertain. They enter a realm of profound worship and faith.