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Once Upon a Time | Films
The Exiled
Prince
With Dussehra and Diwali just behind us, Deepa Gahlot takes a look at the
legend of Ram
Ram Rajya (1943) her character. When Ram sends a courtier
The Dussehra to Diwali festive season to order him to take his wife back and treat
revolves around Ram and Sita and the epic her with respect, the dhobi (made up to look
Ramayan, so here’s looking at Vijay Bhatt’s particularly hideous) sneers at the king’s
1943 film Ram Rajya, the biggest hit of its weakness in accepting a wife who spent time
time, and one of the many mythologicals in another man’s house.
made by the filmmaker. According to Word gets back to Ram, and he calls for
movielore, it is the only Indian film court to decide — interestingly men from
Mahatma Gandhi saw, and reportedly liked. all four castes are represented in court, but
The film starred Prem Adib and Shobhana seated separately. Rishi Vashistha (Pande)
Samarth in the lead, and picks up the explains to the gathering that Sita was
story from the point when Ram returns in already made to undergo the agnipariksha
triumph to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan before being brought back to Ayodhya, so
and rescuing Sita. The people of Ayodhya would they still doubt her chastity?
are overjoyed to have their king back. They They don’t doubt her, the men say, but
are just settling into the lavish palace, and expect a king to do the right thing. A wife
Ram is in the process of establishing a pro- whose pavitrata can be questioned has
people system of ruling – his Ram Rajya – no place in her husband’s home. Ram
when he faces a terrible dilemma. is distraught at the verdict, but believes
A dhobi (VD Pandit) throws his wife a king’s duty must be greater than his
(Amirbai Karnataki) out because he suspects emotions and instructs Laxman (Umakant)
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #17 | NOVEMBER 2020 53
