Rambaan

Rambaan (Rama's Arrow) is a 1948 Indian film with a mythological theme, directed by Vijay Bhatt. Made under the banner of Prakash Pictures, it had music by Shankar Rao Vyas.[1] The story writer was Mohanlal Dave with dialogue by Pandit Girish.[2] The film starred Shobhana Samarth, Prem Adib, Chandra Mohan, Umakant, Amirbai Karnataki and Raj Adib.[3] Bhatt produced several films based on themes from the epic Ramayana, with Shobhana Samarth and Prem Adib.[4] The films proved successful and included Bharat Milap (1942), Ram Rajya (1943) and Rambaan. Shobhana Samarth as Sita and Prem Adib as Rama were extremely popular and accepted by the masses. Their success had them featuring as Rama and Sita on calendars.[5] Chandra Mohan played the role of Ravana.[6]

Rambaan
Directed byVijay Bhatt
Produced byVijay Bhatt
Written byMohanlal Dave
StarringShobhana Samarth
Prem Adib
Chandra Mohan
Amirbai Karnataki
Music byShankar Rao Vyas
CinematographyG. N. Shirodkar
Production
company
Prakash Pictures
Release date
2 December 1948
Running time
155 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Plot

Rama with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman are banished for fourteen years to the forest. Ravana the king of Lanka wants to avenge his sister Surpanakha's humiliation by Lakshman. His plan is to abduct Sita by sending Maricha as a golden-spotted deer. Sita sees the deer and wants Rama to go after it as she wants its skin to make a blouse for Lakshman's wife Urmila. A cry is heard and thinking it is Rama shouting in pain, Sita sends Lakshman in search. Lakshman, who is loath to go as he has promised Rama to take care of Sita, finally leaves after drawing a line, the Lakshmana rekha, round the cottage to keep Sita safe. Ravan kidnaps Sita by making her step on his sandal that he places inside the Lakshman-rekha. This incident leads to Rama and Lakshman's meeting with Sugriva and Hanuman where they help in the war against Ravan to get Sita back.

Review

Ram Baan came in for harsh criticism from Baburao Patel, editor of Filmindia. In his February 1949 issue, he first criticises the director for casting Prem Adib with his "sagging and emaciated muscles" as Rama, and an eight-month pregnant (at the time) Shobhana Samarth as Sita. He then brings out several salient features and scenes in the film that are "sacriligious distortions" as compared to Valmiki's Ramayana. He points out a confused mix of characters and locations. He further mentions that Bhatt's portrayal of Ravana as a drunk with rolling eyes shouting "Main Kaun...? Ravan!" (Who am I...? Ravan!) in every second scene is a contempt which "drags the character down".[7]

Cast

Soundtrack

The film had music composed by Shankar Rao Vyas with the lyrics written by Pandit Indra, Neelkanth Tiwari and Moli. The singers included Rajkumari, Lalita Devulkar, Manna Dey, Saraswati Rane, Phulaji Bua, R. P. Sharma, Shankar Dasgupta and Amirbai Karnataki.[8]

Song List
#TitleSingerLyricist
1 "Banvasi More Ram" Amirbai Karnataki Pandit Indra
2 "Sakhi Ri Mohe Panchvati Man Bhayi" Rajkumari, Lalita Devulkar Pandit Indra
3 "Seete Seete Ram Karta Pukar" Manna Dey Neelkanth Tiwari
4 "Bhagwan Aao Aao O Bhilani Ke Bhagwan" Amirbai Karnataki Pandit Indra
5 "Bina Ram Janki Sooni" Saraswati Rane Pandit Indra
6 "Japo Ram Siya Ram" Manna Dey, Phulaji Bua, R.P. Sharma Neelkanth Tiwari
7 "Uth Lakhan Lal Priye Bhai" Shankar Dasgupta Moti
8 "Tom Tananana Dir Na" Rajkumari, Lalita Devulkar Neelkanth Tiwari

References
  1. "Rambaan 1948". Gomolo.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  2. Patel, Baburao. "Full Text of Filmindia (1949)". archive.org. Internet archive. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  3. "Rambaan". Alan Goble. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. Gulazāra; Govind Nihalani; Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. pp. 555–. ISBN 978-81-7991-066-5. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  5. Heidi R.M. Pauwels (17 December 2007). Indian Literature and Popular Cinema: Recasting Classics. Routledge. pp. 52–. ISBN 978-1-134-06255-3. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  6. Ashok Raj (1 November 2009). Hero Vol.1. Hay House, Inc. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-93-81398-02-9. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  7. Patel, Baburao (February 1948). "Ram Baan Review". Filmindia. 15 (2): 43. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. "Songs Rambaan (1948)". MySwar.com. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
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