A film on Neem Karoli Baba has found sizable success, and Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is drawing attention well before its release. The result is a question now following the trade: can faith become the commercial engine that star power, spies and superheroes used to supply?
Hollywood spent decades building a superhero universe. India’s advantage is different: gods, epics and saints already live in collective memory. The challenge is whether that familiarity can be turned into a theatrical event.
The industry follows the success
Director Suresh Triveni sees a cyclical shift. He says the current spike in mythological dramas is likely to inspire more such films, because audiences want to see their culture and traditions on screen. But he adds that “faith alone cannot guarantee box-office success”; the film still needs strong writing, performances and execution.
Trade expert Komal Nahata puts it more bluntly: “In a way, faith is becoming the new action formula.” He sees a herd mentality at work after Hanuman Ansh and Kantara, and expects the trend to shape the industry over the next decade.
Trade expert Sumit Kadel points to a longer record. Some examples he cites:
- Jai Santoshi Maa released alongside Sholay and became a blockbuster.
- Films on Sai Baba have also worked in theatres.
- Recent devotional successes include Hanuman Ansh, Laalo and Mahavatar Narasimha.
Can devotion sell a ticket?
The commercial question sharpens with Ramayana. Nahata says a film of that scale arrives with exceptional box-office expectations, and streaming and satellite prices are linked to how it performs in theatres. Kadel argues that urban multiplex taste led filmmakers to chase Western-influenced content, but devotional pull never went away. The result, he says, is that well-made films rooted in gods, mythology and faith can draw audiences across regions.
Story still comes first
Mahesh Mathai, director of Real Kashmir Football Club, warns against making faith or patriotism more important than the story. His view is simple: “Great stories are the only things that will work.” That is the creative risk beneath the genre’s rise — spectacle can market a film, but it cannot replace narrative weight.
The sensitivity test
Religious material also narrows creative room. Nahata says cinematic liberties are generally accepted when they respect audience sensitivities, but a version that turns Ram into the villain and Ravan into the hero would invite controversy or calls for a ban. The path, he argues, is not to avoid interpretation but to exercise it with care.
Source: CNBCTV18
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