Ram Teri Ganga Maili
Encyclopedia
Ram Teri Ganga Maili was a hit 1985 Bollywood
movie
directed by the legend, Raj Kapoor
. This movie stars Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor
, son of the director-producer Raj Kapoor. It was Raj Kapoor's last film. The songs of the films were of high meolody. Music Director Ravindra Jain received Filmfare award for this film.
, visiting the mountains of Gangotri, falls in love with a young woman who lives in the mountains. Their love continues as they get married. However, the main character must go back to the city because he has unfinished business. Before leaving for Kolkata, he promises his wife that he will come back for her. Unfortunately, he never returned due to family barriers.
The woman becomes mother of his child and finally decides to search for him. Ganga travels from Gangotri to Kolkata to find her husban (along the real path the Ganga river takes). On the way, she only meets sinful and bad people. Though she left Gangotri, innocent and clean (like the Ganges river), her journey has led her into the path of people who try to exploit her for her beauty. She ultimately ends up at a brothel.
). The narrative recapitulates the Abhijñānaśākuntalam
story that first appeared in the epic Mahabharata
and then was reworked, some six hundred years later, by the poet Kalidasa
."
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by the legend, Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
. This movie stars Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor
Rajiv Kapoor
Rajiv Kapoor is an Indian film actor, producer, director and a member of the famous Kapoor Family.-Career:He had a short stint in the Hindi film industry, acting in only 13 films. His first film was Ek jaan hain hum , with Divya Rana, Shammi Kapoor, Pran, and Gulshan Grover...
, son of the director-producer Raj Kapoor. It was Raj Kapoor's last film. The songs of the films were of high meolody. Music Director Ravindra Jain received Filmfare award for this film.
Plot
This story's main character is a young man from KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, visiting the mountains of Gangotri, falls in love with a young woman who lives in the mountains. Their love continues as they get married. However, the main character must go back to the city because he has unfinished business. Before leaving for Kolkata, he promises his wife that he will come back for her. Unfortunately, he never returned due to family barriers.
The woman becomes mother of his child and finally decides to search for him. Ganga travels from Gangotri to Kolkata to find her husban (along the real path the Ganga river takes). On the way, she only meets sinful and bad people. Though she left Gangotri, innocent and clean (like the Ganges river), her journey has led her into the path of people who try to exploit her for her beauty. She ultimately ends up at a brothel.
Cultural allusions
According to Philip Lutgendorf, the movie is an allegory that "synthesizes classical and mythic narrative, soft-core political and social commentary (here condemning the corruption of politicians and capitalists and championing the nascent environmental initiatives of Prime Minister Rajiv GandhiRajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
). The narrative recapitulates the Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Abhijñānashākuntala or Abhijñānaśākuntalam) , is a well-known Sanskrit play by Kālidāsa. Its date is uncertain, but Kalidasa is often placed in the period between the 1st century BCE and 4th century CE....
story that first appeared in the epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and then was reworked, some six hundred years later, by the poet Kalidasa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
."
Songs
- "Ram Teri ganga maili ho gayi papiyon ke paap dhote dhote (Ram your Ganga has become dirty washing the sins of sinners)"
- "Suno to ganga ye kya sunaye (Listen to what Ganges says)"
- "Tujhe bulayen, ye meri baahen (I want to hug you)"
- "Husna Pahadon ka" - Describes the beauty of mountains with Human Sense.
- "Sun sahiba sun, pyaar ki dhun (Listen sir listen, to the melody of love)" - Sung when Ganga is declaring her love for her future husband.
- "Yaara, tujhse mila mujhe jeene ka sahara (Friend, I received help to live from you)"
- "Mujh ko dekhoge jahan tak (you will find me everywhere)"
- "Ek Radha ek Meera" - Describes two women, RadhaRadhaRadha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
and Mirabai, who at different times loved the same form of God in the same relationship. Sung in a BhajanBhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
style.