If Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ was to find an Indian film avatar, it would be Rajshri Films. They have been trying for decades to make India great again. The movies are hinting that in another era things were more beautiful and pure and we are fast losing that.
Rajshree Films, 1970s till now – Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye (1977), Sunaina (1979), Pitcher (1976), i loved (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), We are together (1999), and Marriage (2006) – All are drawn to those who like to say “we lived in simpler times”.
The trope of “simpler times” as it is called today’cultured’ Suraj R. Barjatya’s movies. These enduring, quintessential Indian values can be defined in a thousand ways. Barjatyas have their own definition – they place the Indian family at the center of the plot. Large or joint families are one thing; shy, shy girls who love to cook and feed; moralistic men and women who serve and sacrifice; small-town purity; And of course, ‘it’s all about loving your parents’ (long before Karan Johan adopted it).
You can watch Rajshree movies with your family. When Who am I to you (1994) released, LK Advani went to see it with his family, and it became news.
Now, Sooraj Barjatya’s latest release height – Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Danny Denzongpa , Trying to stay close to the original while moving away a bit.
in an era when looking Titanic (1997) A shared trauma for millennials with parents, Rajshri movies were ‘clean’ and you could watch them safely without any hesitation. Love them, hate them or make their memes- Rajshri films of the 90s were an institution.
Housewife Priya Sethi in Jaipur recalls how watching Rajshri movie every Sunday was an unwritten rule in their joint family. actors like Abha Parmar passed Told that movies were made Secrament A part of the Indian ethos, and their influence is undeniable.
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love quotient
Even without big stars and the quintessential love boy ‘Prem’ – mostly starring Salman Khan – Rajshri Productions has given films like Chitchor And Ankhiyon Ke Jharokho Se (1978) Which was not only a big hit but also achieved cult status.
The production house was started by Tarachand Barjatya in 1947 on the verge of closing Shop in 1990 – Its Bombay office was about to be sold to pay off the company’s debts. Then only 21-year-old Sooraj Barjatya took command and produced iconic films with Salman Khan as Prem – I have loved, Who am I to youAnd We are together, These films were massive grossers and saved the sinking ship. Like ‘Extra K’ for Ekta Kapoor, the name ‘Prem’ turned out to be a lucky charm for Rajshri Productions.
In fact, the last hit that the production house recorded was the 2015 Salman Khan-starrer Prem ratan dhan payo. That was the year of Salman – Saath Bajrangi Bhaijaan Also ranking as the highest grossing film of the year at the box office.
Marriage (2006), starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, made on a budget of Rs 8 crore, was a hit. earnings that reached 49.6 crore Rs. sub headline ‘a journey from engagement to marriage‘, despite receiving criticism for promoting the ‘fair is lovely’ idea, the film became popular among the youth. amrita rao take a burn The scene – where she gives Prem (Kapoor) a glass of water – became popular Mam in 2021. The groom stood with his bride after an accident and the burn marks on her body were also highly appreciated.
riding high on the word Marriage, A marriage…so tooStarring Sonu Sood and Isha Koppikar, was released in 2008. But it bombed at the box office and could not even recover the production budget.
movies like i’m crazy about love (2003) and YouYouf what magic is love (2004) failed spectacularly despite trying something new. Even Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan could not save i’m crazy about love,
Going back to the tried and tested formula, Barjatya ropes in OG love, Salman Khan for Prem ratan dhan payo And brought the film.
“What I show in films is somewhat similar to my life, but we show it in an aspirational way,” Barjatya said. an interview with Indian Express, heightHowever, there appears to be a departure from tradition. It has been shot in real locations, unlike on-set shooting or the occasional small town locations where Barjatya’s films are usually shot.
Towards the ‘cultured’ ideal
Over the years, with the help of repeated broadcasts, these became Rajshree films.cultured‘ Entertainment. In fact, the memes and jokes are based on extreme and unrealistic portrayal of Indian culture – be it in the context of love, relationships or marriage. However, Anupam Kher has been a regular in Rajshri films since his debut. SAOneRansho (1984) rejected this idea. “They’ve always made a film that they believe in, which is about the culture they believe in and practice. So much so that, at a certain point, I think some rude people kept them that way. decided to cultured (Traditional) because they couldn’t deal with it,” he added An interview with ETimes.
Bhagyashree Patwardhan became the country’s favorite heroine with i loved, He says that if this film was made today, it would be a flop. “I don’t know if today the value is seen in waiting and giving up,” He said waves, It is less the value and more the patriarchal attitude that will affect the film today.
The films always featured upper class Hindu families with commercial backgrounds, surrounded by characters belonging to other religions. When Mohnish Behl and Tabu go on their honeymoon We are together, They take the whole family with them. This is the strength of the family in Barjatya’s films. Vegetarianism was, of course, a given. till in Marriage, Amrita Rao’s sister Chhoti is reprimanded by her mother Rama (Seema Biswas) for the color of her skin and is constantly worried about who will marry her. Marriage was everything for every ‘good’ girl in Rajshri films. And these women most happily confined themselves to kitchen work. Women wearing salwar-kameez or saris were considered ‘ideal’ Daughter in law There was nothing else. The heroines were also young, with no prior romantic experience. whether it is Suman (Bhagyashree) i loved Who are we all at the age of 18 or Nisha (Madhuri Dixit) we belong to youWhere?nDespite initially being shown as bright students, the women would bypass education and marry on impulse.
Talluri Rameshwari and Zarina Wahab were the favorites in the 1980s. They represented the de-glamorized, ‘girl-next-door’, wedding-material type of the Indian woman. He stood for the status quo, no threat to Indian culture and ways in an era dominated by westerners like Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi and Tina Munim.
all three hits of the 90s, and even Marriage Later, were mainly about the family over the individual. Each son was to become part of the family business, and any departure was temporary. There was no self without the family, and all kinds of sacrifices were justified to keep it intact.
In view of this, height Simultaneously there seems to be a return to the pre-Suraj Barjatya era which behaves like social realism or youth Chitchor, summarieseither From the vents of the eyes. This would be a nod to the fact that blood lines don’t necessarily make families. Sooraj Barjatya finally turns the lens of Rajshri Productions, exploring the lifelong friendship between four people who trust each other in their 60s.
Thoughts are personal.
This article is part of a series called Beyond the Reel. read all articles Here,
(Edited by Hamra Like)