"Kalki 2898 AD," starring Prabhas, is the most recent film to depict a tale drawn from indian mythology. Even though it's a science-fiction movie, the myths and stories offer a fascinating element. The most intriguing aspect of the movie is how Karna, one of the most beloved characters from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, is envisioned by filmmaker Nag Ashwin. However, why does he? Given that the mythology makes no reference of Karna's rebirth, why does he feel the need to introduce a figure back into his post-apocalyptic tale? Is it just curiosity, or is there another side to it?
 

A few years back, 'Baahubali 2'—which was also partially based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—became the biggest movie of director SS Rajamouli's career in india and throughout the world. His Oscar-winning film "RRR" even seems to draw inspiration from the epics. india creates an incredible number of films each year that are based on indian mythology: "Brahmastra," "Kantara," "Karthikeya," "HanuMan," "Adipurush," "Rajneeti," and so on.
 
Is this an intentional endeavour to revisit these myths and draw inspiration from them each time you want to create a movie? Or is it reasonable to argue that mythology has become an essential component of our creativity because it is so profoundly ingrained in our hearts and brains on a subconscious level?
 

Mythology, a subconscious part of our existence
Filmmaker and writer Siva Ananth, who has created films like Sachin: A Billion Dreams and Ponniyin Selvan, thinks that our attraction to these kinds of tales is quite natural. "The stories we tell are all derived from mythology. These mythical myths are fundamentally founded on the sort of narrative that almost all of our stories are: "you shall reap what you sow." Saying that everything is directly from the Ramayana and Mahabharata is not hyperbole, he stated in an interview with india Herald.

The producer said that we have been so ingrained with these myths and stories that even the most basic portrayal of our heroes in films is derived from our conceptions of our gods. These patterns are seen in a variety of objects. For instance, you may have imagined Rama and krishna to be heroes, with distinct personality traits standing out more than the rest. This is also, in a sense, how we depict our heroes. The majority of the movie's opening sequences include a director gradually focused on the hero. Their hands and/or fingers, shoulders, and face will be shown in that order. He said, "This is comparable to adoring the lead actor in the same that one worships a legendary figure.
 

For more than ten years, Siva has collaborated closely with filmmaker Mani Ratnam. In 2010, the filmmaker produced the visually spectacular film "Raavan," which is a contemporary rendition of the Ramayana. But how do directors like Ratnam and others come up with ideas for these kinds of stories? When they consider using mythology as the inspiration for one of their films, what is going through their minds?
 

Everything boils down to drama
The most dramatic depiction of our life and experiences may be found in films. And the most important weapon for ensuring that this drama lasts forever is mythology. "It all comes down to observing things that are really theatrical and exaggerated. Other than our two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, where else would you find it? This, I believe, is the reason we return to them again and time again while composing our stories," he said.

There's always more to a movie than what first meets the eye. The same is true of mythology. The legends never change, regardless of how ancient or new the stories are. Filmmakers have always been drawn to these stories; in fact, raja Harishchandra's story served as the inspiration for the first indian feature film ever produced. Mythology might be said to as the skeleton of our culture if cinema are its reflection.
 
 


 

Find out more: