When K.A Abbas Asked Gandhi To See“Ram Rajya", The First And Only Film He Saw

The country was still fighting a very grim and high pitched fight for freedom and the fight for independence had almost reached its goal in and around 1943 and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was leading the fight with his weapon of ahimsa (non-violence). Films were also made keeping in mind the need to bring out an awareness for freedom.

It was also the time when a young filmmaker called Vijay Bhatt (uncle of Mahesh Bhatt) had made a film based on the Ramayan called“Ram Rajya"which was basically the story of Ram and Sita. Prem Adib played Ram and Shobhana Samarth (mother of actresses Nutan and Tanuja and grandmother of Kajol) played Sita and had captured the audience with her performance as Sita.

Vijay Bhatt and his producers wanted Gandhi to see the film, but Gandhi turned down their request as he said he was too busy with fighting as a part of the freedom movement and it was a known fact that Gandhi was against all entertainment and especially films and plays. He was totally involved in attaining independence. Vijay Bhatt was thoroughly disappointed.

He was advised to seek the advice of K.A Abbas who was a fearless writer, columnist and filmmaker. Abbas offered to help.

He wrote a hard-hitting article addressing Gandhi and telling him about the importance of the film medium for a country on the rise. Abbas wrote without fear as was his way of writing which is supposed to have shaken up the Father of Nation and he finally agreed to watch“Ram Rajya"for two and a half hours. He did not express any opinion about the film, but the very fact that he had seen the film made a very big difference to the film and it ran to packed houses even in the midst of all the fire and fury of the fight for freedom. However,“Ram Rajya"will always be remembered as the only film seen by Gandhi and all credit for the unusual happening went to Abbas and his powerful writing.

Abbas was a practising Communist and made several films with social causes being the guiding factor. In 1954, he made“Munna"which is accepted as the first songless film in India. Abbas, though he was a Communist was very close to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and when Abbas invited Nehru to the premiere of“Munna", Nehru found time off from his very title schedule as the first Prime Minister to not only be present at the premiere, but also sat through the film....

Talking about the connection of Abbas and his films, their premieres and festivals of his films, one is reminded of a festival of his films soon after he had released“Saat Hindustani"in which he had introduced Amitabh Bachchan. As was only natural, he invited Amitabh and expected him to be present. But, Amitabh had already become a busy actor and sent his father, the great poet Harivanshrai Bachchan to represent him. Abbas who was known for not mincing his words looked at Harivanshrai Bachchan who was his very good friend and while he was on the microphone, he said,“kyon bhe Bachchan bete ke chamche ban gaye ho kya"? Bachchan,a man of words was speechless.

Abbas was known for speaking his heart out to Presidents, Prime Ministers, other Ministers, religious leaders his own comrades of the Communist Party and if there was one man who he lashed out the most, it was Sanjay Gandhi who was the only politician who tried to gag him and asked his mother, Mrs Indira Gandhi who refused to follow her son and Abbas continued attacking the Emergency and all the wrongful acts arising out of it. The last article he wrote in his famous column, “Last Page"was a blistering attack on the government of the time which was showing signs of turning into an authoritarian government and had warned the country of falling a victim to leaders who would be illiterate, inhuman and dishonest with corruption being their only ‘religion'.

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