One would not know whether it is the Oath of the Vayuputra effect, or the fact that RANGREZZis releasing just a week after Shivaratri, the famous festival of India, but it is a long time that a song evoking the power and the strength of Lord Shiva has been picturised in a film as it has been done in RANGREZZ. Sung by Shankar Mahadevan (So, Shankar gets a song for the namesake God from whom his name has been derived), it is a thumping song full with effervescence and indeed evokes an obeisance to Lord Shiva.
Incidentally, RANGREZZ could be one of those rare films in the history of Hindi cinema in the recent memory, where songs dedicated to the memory of Lord Shiva and his son Lord Ganesha have been featured simultaneously in a film.
RANGREZZ has set the tune with Shivaratri, which recently went, to run through such films where the memory of Lord Shiva has been invoked to underline his importance in the Indian social and religious set up.
RAJ KAPOOR in AWAARA: One of the earliest proponents who underlined the importance of Lord Shiva was Raj Kapoor. As a matter of fact all the films under RK banner begin with the signature montage of Prithivi Raj Kapoor, sitting in obeisance before the Shiv Linga of Lord Shiva. The dream sequence of AWAARA, Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi had the benevolent form of Lord Shiva in
his magnificence.
MUNIMJI: The song- Shivji Bihane chale from the Dev Anand classic, set to the score by Hemant Kumar, is one of the earliest songs that has been recorded which became an integral element of celebration of the occasion thenceforth, as it prescribes the whole process of marriage of Lord Shiva.
AAP KI KASAM: The gay abandon with which Kishore Kumar had sung Jai Jai Shiv Shankar in AAP KI KASAM, and Rajesh Khanna croons to it along with Mumtaz, underlined the spirit of freedom associated with Lord Shiva. What added to the reality was the fact that the song was shot in Mani Mahesh, Chamba, which is one of the sacred abodes where Lord Shiva resides, and after the picturization of this song, Mani Mahesh emerged as the popular destination for the Shiv Bhakts.
JOHNY MERA NAAM and HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA: Dev Anand has been one of those producers who could be credited for bringing the outreach of Lord Shiva through his films. After MUNIMJI in 1954 in two successive films JOHNY MERA NAAM and HARE RAMA HARE KRISHNA where he had used the backdrop of Nepal's Pashupati Nath temple, Dev Anand was a catalyst through these two films to increase the footfall to this temple of Lord Shiva outside India.
RAANJHNAA : RAANJHNAA starring Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush is the latest film on offer which is being shot in the city that is said to be thriving and surviving, as it is Lord Shiva's city, aka Varanasi.
MAHAAN: In the first film in which Big B had played triple role, he emerged as the Shiv bhakt who used to pay obeisance daily at the Pashupati Nath temple in Kathmandu and in MAHAAN quite a lot of scenes were also shot in the temple complex.
One only hopes that after RANGREZZ, more modern songs would be composed invoking the power and outreach of this God, as the religious songs indeed serve as a catalyst in increasing the footfall for a film.
