Page - 36 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 07/02

36 | Genoveva Castro www.jrfm.eu 2021, 7/2, 31–53 Since the beginnings of Indian cinema, the epic has been a major thematic source.17 As Philip Lutgendorf has stated, the devotional plays that tell the story of the Rāmāyaṇa have been influential in the development of movies. The so-called “mythological films” represent the story of Rāma with the emotional piety of the devotional tradition.18 Dadasaheb Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema, directed the first Indian movie based on an inci- dent from the Rāmāyaṇa. Lanka Dahan (The burning of Lanka, Dadasaheb Phalke, IN 1917) combines stage conventions with sophisticated cinemato- graphy.19 In every decade since, many crowd-pleasing Rāmāyaṇa movies have been produced.20 The Hindi movies Ram Rajya (Rule of Rama, Vijay Bhat, IN 1943) and Sampoorna Ramayana (Complete Ramayana, Babub- hai Mistry, IN 1961) are worth mentioning because they won great acclaim from audiences. Also noteworthy is the Tamil film Sampoorna Ramayanam (Complete Ramayana, K. Somu, IN 1958), which was a great hit and revived interest for mythological movies in the South.21 The first television series about the story of Rāma, Ramayan (Ramanad Sagar, IN 1987–1988), became the most popular program ever on Indian television.22 The series Ramayan (Anand Sagar, IN 2008) was remade again in 2008 and this version, including songs, was dubbed into South Indian languages to win over more viewers. A Hindi TV mythological series, Raavan (Ranjan Singh, IN 2006–2008), ex- plores the character of Rāvaṇa according to the texts of Vālmīki and Tulsīdās. The Rāmāyaṇa also figures prominently in films that are not based on the epic, as a referent in character names, motifs, and songs.23 Therefore, the story of Rāma on screen has had a profound impact on religious experience and popular culture. The inspiration of the South Indian Rāmāyaṇa tradition in film is ongoing. The Tamil movie Kaala (Pa. Ranjith, IN 2018) uses the framework of the epic as well. It is set among Tamilian immigrants in Mumbai who live in slums and are harassed by a gangster who wants to take over their land. Kaala, the Rāvaṇa-like character played by the celebrated Tamil actor Ra- jinikanth, fights for the protection of the rights of his people and prevents 17 Aklujkar 2007, 42. 18 Lutgendorf 1990, 129. 19 Woods 2011, 97. 20 Aklujkar 2007, 42. 21 Baskaran 1996, 185 22 Lutgendorf 1990, 128. 23 Lutgendorf 2010, 144.