But after trying to explore the myths and truths of real personalities, Bollywood now seems to have taken a U-turn. There are a large number of films in production or awaiting release that are based on stories from our ancient texts, mythological fiction and/or based on the lives of historical figures.

The year began with a richly seeded Samrat Prithviraj and in the following months Ram Setu, brahmastraWe will watch The Immortal Ashwatthama Ponniyan Selvan or PS1, Adipurush, Sita with Kangana Ranaut and Chanakya. These are among the many projects in the mythology/historical drama genres that have been greenlit one after the other in recent years.

So is Bollywood just another bandwagon, or is there a deeper consumer insight here? It’s a temptation recreating the magic of Baahubali? Going back in time when we all recently faced an uncertain future? Or to look for cinematic solutions in ancient stories at a time when Bollywood seems to not understand what the audience wants to see?

SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali was a turning point for Indian cinema.

I read an interesting quote online that says, “Myths are powerful symbolic stories that all people use to interpret the worlds in which they live. In other words, myths are narrative links that connect human beings across cultures. Stories from mythology and our religious texts teach us about the follies and weaknesses of human nature and help us all to some degree to remain hopeful and morally sane. These texts and their conflicts are rooted in human emotions, the timeless conflicts of the head and heart, and the moral dilemmas we all still face.

Perhaps that is why Bollywood has always been interested in stories from ancient times or stories about divine beings that symbolize certain ideals. If you look back, there have been some hugely successful mythological and historical films over the decades. Jai Santoshi Maa, Bhakta Prahlad, Raja Harishchandra, Alam Ara, Dayare Madina, Aulea E Islam and Nek Parveen are just some of the popular films with religious and/or mythological themes.

In the recent past, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has given us two epic dramas, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. Ajay Devgn’s Tanhaji did great business just before the pandemic and who can forget Ashutosh’s Gowariker’s Lagaan and Jodha Akbar? Movies like Kalyug, Rajneeti, Dalapathi, Raavan and the diabetically sweet Hum Saath Saath Hain were all based on either Ramayan or Mahabharat.

However, the overwhelming success of Baahubali redefined how mythological films and period dramas were made and perceived in India. Baahubali1 and 2 were completely fictional stories with heavy religious and mythological undertones. But Baahubali’s greatest triumph was that it combined the tropes of a mythological film with the scale and technical finesse of modern storytelling. The use of cutting-edge special effects to create an ancient story was a powerful combination, and clearly a profitable one. SS Rajamouli has made mythology ‘cool’ again and suddenly ‘ek tha raja ek thi rani’was brand new kahaani.

Indian audiences were clearly eager to hear stories that looked good and were told with conviction. But most importantly, they were eager to see stories that spoke to the beliefs and emotional conflicts that are part of our collective cultural subconscious.

In successful mythological films or historical dramas, filmmakers often layer references to religious texts, stories about gods, and conflicts between religious or historical figures. RRR is full of references to the Ramayan where Ram Charan plays a character named Ram, is engaged to a woman named Sita and actually disguises himself as Lord Ram in the film’s climax. Jr NTR’s character Bheem was a combination of Lakshman and Hanuman, a loyal friend and brother who helped unite Ram and Sita in the film.

Baahubali 1 and 2 had echoes of the Mahabharata, where a disabled father wanted the throne for his egotistical son, two brothers clashed over the kingdom, and a daughter-in-law’s insult at a public gathering became the reason the family severed ties. Sanjay Leela Bhansali also likes to connect his historical films with Indian epics. Whether it was Kashibai comparing herself to Rukmini and Mastani to Radha, or Rani Padmavati comparing Khilji to Ravana who had eyes on Sita; Bhansali enhances the aura of his actors and characters by drawing parallels with beings who have become timeless symbols of good and evil.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali also likes to connect his historical films with Indian epics. (Photo: Deepika Padukone/Instagram)

While mythological/historical films are visually arresting because they are usually installed on a grand scale and have rich costumes and sets, the spectacle also costs the producer enormously. Each of the films ready to be shot and released has hundreds of millions of crowns.

But whether these films do great business or not will depend on two things that seem strangely at odds. How well they capture the original essence of the epic or the time period from which they are based, and whether they can bring a new perspective to the story or the characters that we mostly already know. We hope that these many stories of kings, queens, gods and demigods can prove to be the divine intervention that Bollywood needs.