Film Avtaars of the Goddess

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A column by Bhawana Somaaya in today's edition of "Screen" magazine:

 

According to the Chudamani Tantra, when Shiva learnt about his wife

Sati jumping into the yagna and ending her life, the inconsolable

god danced the tandava with Sati's corpse in his arms at the palace

of King Daksha, Sati's father.

 

Lord Vishnu -- sensing destruction of the universe in anticipation --

hurled his sudarshan chakra that fragmented Sati's body into 51

pieces, all manifestations of shakti. Ever since, the Goddess has

been worshipped in various forms -- some of the avataars often

depicted on celluloid.

 

The most well-known amongst the mother Goddesses is Lakshmi, who

originated from the sagar manthan. It is believed that as the devaa

and asura began churning the ocean, 14 objects emerged from the

water. The last was Lakshmi, seated on a lotus and holding precious

jewels. Lord Vishnu immediately chose her as his consort.

 

In the 70's-released "Sanjog", Mala Sinha arrives in all her

fineries carrying loads of gifts for the hero's family. But unlike

Lord Vishnu, hero Amitabh Bachchan is far from happy; in fact he is

disturbed to see her at his doorstep. Two decades later,

in "Judaai", Urmila Matondkar -- in true representation of the

fortune Goddess -- arrives with a suitcase full of currency notes as

Anil Kapoor's new bride. The fortune is not so much for the hero but

for his family (Sridevi).

 

The scriptures describe Lakshmi as the most compassionate Goddess,

generous and forgiving. She is known to protect even those who

persecute her. Not surprising that "Judaai" projected Urmila

Matondkar as the martyr who when the time comes, disappears on her

white lotus (aeroplane), sacrificing her happiness so that her

beloved and his family can live happily ever after.

 

Goddess Durga, or Amba, is the ultimate shakti, who was created to

nurture good and vanquish evil. The fable has it that when demon

Mahishasura was unconquerable, Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

concentrated energy to create Durga, the Goddess extraordinaire, to

combat the evil. Sculpted from the essence of the Trinity, she was

bestowed with exclusive armour that would revoke her invincible.

 

In Rakesh Roshan's "Khoon Bhari Maang", Rekha emerges as the

avenging angel to destroy Mahishasura (alias villain Kabir Bedi).

And just as Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu had aided Durga with their

powers and armour, Rekha is nurtured by a stranger who saves her

life from the crocodile, sculpted by a plastic surgeon who gives her

a new identity, aided by her loyal staff and guarded by her

cherished dogs. She's inspired by her two orphaned children to

battle against her oppressor and emerge victorious.

 

According to the seventh-century poet Bana, demons Shumbha and

Nishumbha -- two megalomaniacs -- dreamt of ruling the universe. One

day, Shumbha sent his two aides with a marriage proposal for him to

the beautiful Goddess Kali. Kali was outraged by Shumbha's overture

and destroyed the messengers, Chanda and Munda, and later Shumbha

and Nishumbha and their ferocious demon, Raktabeeja.

 

N. Chandra's "Pratighaat" -- telling about a beautiful housewife

raped in broad daylight, when no one comes to her aid -- is a

crusade of a woman affronted. The protagonist hacking her rapists in

the climax is the modern day Kali demolishing anti-social elements.

Unafraid and towering over everyone, she represents power,

triumphing over moral and societal injustices.

 

Goddess Vaishnodevi was created, according to legend, to control

evil forces. So Lakshmi, Saraswati and Goddess Kali combined their

powers to produce a Goddess who would free humanity from suffering.

This could be accomplished with severe penance and devotion.

 

One saw glimpses of this pious, ascetic character in Govind

Saraiya's "Saraswati Chandra," essayed by Nutan. Kumud Sundari is

established as a woman of extraordinary beauty and strength, who is

betrayed by destiny time and again. After a merry-go-round of hope

and disappointment, she lands up in an ashram, convinced that only

penance and higher levels of spirituality can find her salvation.

There, she meets her beloved, who was lost on he banks of the river

and saved by the monks.

 

Quite like Lord Ram discovering the Goddess Vaishnavi on the sea

shore during his search for Sita in Ramayana: Legend has it that the

Goddess proposes to Ram, but he declines for in the present

incarnation he is committed to Sita. In "Saraswati Chandra," the

hero proposes marriage to Nutan, who declines for in the present

birth she is committed to widowhood. Both hope for a union in their

next lives, however -- like Ram and Vaishnavi.

 

Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge and wisdom. She

symbolises the creative power of Brahma. On Basant Panchami day,

Brahma is said to have created Saraswati and infused speech into

her, and given veena in her hand. In Hindi films she is seen in

different manifestations imparting knowledge or creativity.

 

Mala Sinha in "Bahurani", educating her regressed husband to read

and write, is one form. While South actress Madhavi -- giving dance

lessons to an anguished Kamal Haasan, trying to fill up his

loneliness without Rati Agnihotri in "Ek Duuje Ke Liye" -- is

another form of transcending creativity. And an enlightened Raakhee

planning her moves to fight her opponent Suresh Oberoi

in "Shraddhanjali", with courage and intelligence, a flowering of

energy and power.

 

Some believe that when the Goddess was cut by the sudarshan chakra

she was fragmented in not 51 pieces, but 108. Each one is said to

have a different form and place of worship. Sometimes, one sees

avtaars of them in fleeting glimpses on the celluloid. Goddess

Bhawani, for instance, is a familiar reference in most Hindi films

telling about dacoits ("Mujhe Jeene Do"/ "Mera Gaon Mera Desh") and

Savitri an avtaar of Sati devoted to matrimony ("Main Chup

Rahungi"/ "Sangam") or Goddess Gayatri often perceived as the virgin

wife ("Humrahi") and sometimes as the deprived other woman ("Daag").

 

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