Religion and Hindi Cinema

Early Indian cinema took cues from the existing visual arts of the time, notably from Parsi theatre, a commercial theatre movement started in the mid 19th century and, Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings. 

Mythological and devotional films also evoked the idea of Darshan – the encounter of a worshipper with a deity. This was done through the use of tableaux, where the characters are positioned facing the camera as if in the presence of devotees. This early culture of seeing gods on the screen is perhaps responsible for the god like status of film stars across India, and the building of temples to them.

In Sohrab Modi's Prithvi Vallabh (1943), the good king, bows his head before God and no one else. 

Sohrab Modi as King Munj or Prithvi Vallabh demonstrates a religious practice that is accepting of pleasure unlike Princess Mrinalvati who in her religious fervour has denounced sexual pleasure along with others such as song and dance. She eventually falls in love with Munj. 

Nanubhai Vakil's Indar Sabha (1956) was a remake of a 1932 film of the same name which was a film rendition of a play by Sayed Aga Hasan Amanat written in 1853 for the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. The play brought together the Hindi Devmala [Hindi Pantheon] with the Islami Ravaiyat [style] and forms of folk theatre like the Ras Lila into Urdu prose theatre. This amalgamation of language and form began to be used in Parsi theatre, and later in Hindi films. 

The film is set in the court of Indra, the king of gods, and tells the story of a king who falls in love with an apsara.

Hari Darshan (1972) produced by Chandrakant, was yet another retelling of Prahlada's story. 

Prahlad Sharma'sVidyapati (1964) is a remake of a 1937 film of the same name. It tells the story of a Maithili poet and Vaishnava saint. A love triangle, the film builds around Vidyapati’s poetry in praise of Krishna. 

Har Har Mahdev (1974) directed by Chandrakant, was a remake of a 1950 hit. It tells a story from the Shiva Purana. 

Mythological films in colour had taken on a strong kitschy quality.

In Raj Kapoor's Awara (1951), the refusal of the Judge to take in his pregnant wife, alludes to the episode in the epic Ramayana where Ram abandons a pregnant Sita.  

Judge Raghunath’s wife, Leela, is kidnapped by the bandit Jagga, but he releases her when he finds out that she is pregnant. Raghunath, after being harangued by his sister-in-law about Leela’s chastity, refuses to believe that  Leela is carrying his child, and not Jagga’s, and he throws Leela out of his home.

Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957) invokes many goddesses – Bhu Devi (earth goddess), Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth), Radha (though not considered a goddess by many)...

...and the new goddess of the nation, Mother India aka Bharat Mata.

In Mughal-E-Azam (1960) the build up of desire after the first encounter between Prince Salim and Anarkali happens during the song Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal Ched Gayo Re (performed on Janmashtami and about Krishna’s playful teasing).

In Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963), Kalyani sings "Mora Gora Ang Lai Le, Mohe Shyam Rang De Dai, Chup Jaoongi Raat Hi Mein, Mohe Pi Ka Sang De Dai (Take away my fair skin, give me Krishna’s dark colour so I can hide in the night and be with my love)." 

In Devdas (1955), “Paro’s devotion to Devdas has overtly religious elements, whether in the editing of the film that shows him as her deity when she is lighting the lamp or the way they can communicate telepathically (in the films, not the book),” writes Rachel Dwyer.

Dwyer continues, “Paro feels Devdas’ pain through her scar and they can communicate telepathically. The pure quality of their love is emphasised in the music and lyrics of the films, with reference to imagery of Krishna’s pastoral loves." 

"Two songs are picturised on Paro, both sung by travelling Vaishnavas. The first, Aan Milo Shyam Saawre, is a devotional song to Krishna about Radha pining for him when he leaves their childhood home, which makes Paro cry as she misses Devdas, drawing parallels to the sanctity of their childhood spent in a rural idyll.”

Islam does not allow for depictions of its God but miracles still happen in Islamicate films.

K Asif's 1986 film Laila aur Kais (or ‘Love and God’) is centred on a divinely ordained love. When Kais is hit, the scars appear on Laila, among other miracles. 

In Yash Chopra’s Deewar (1975) Vijay as a dockyard worker wears a badge with the number 786 (in Islam 786 is sacred, it is the numerical total of the chant ‘Bismillah al-Rahmane al-Rahim’). After becoming a smuggler, he keeps the token as a lucky charm, dying ultimately when it falls out of his pocket. 

The depiction of Christians in Hindi films tended to be around anglo-Indians and stereotyped them as drunks, comics, or criminals. Christian women were often depicted as molls, nurses, teachers or women with dubious morals. 

The depiction of the heroine’s sexuality in KS Sethumadhavan's Julie (1975) was protested by Christian groups. 

Bhagwan Das Varma's Aurat (1953) was an adaptation of the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah. In the film, Premnath's character (Adil) single handedly combats a lion – as represented in the poster.

The reformist gaoler, Adinath, in V Shantaram's Do Aaankhen Barah Haath (1957) is the only notable example of a Jain. He has a Jain name (Adinath is one of the names of the first Jain Tirthankara or spiritual teacher) but his religious beliefs and practices are never explicitly shown.