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Why Bollywood Films Invoke Chhathi Maiya in New Releases
Two new Hindi films show people celebrating Chhath Puja.
The films are The Vvaan and Yeh Prem Mol Liya.
Chhath is a festival in which people worship the setting and rising sun.
Some experts think the films include it to connect with people from Bihar and their families around the world.
They also say Hindi cinema may be trying to attract audiences interested in local and Bhojpuri culture.
Another expert asks whether the festival truly helps the story or is mainly used to create a religious mood.
The Vvaan’s writer says the festival is both spiritual and connected to nature and science.
The filmmakers say their use of Chhath is a new development for Hindi cinema, but critics point out that Bhojpuri cinema has shown it before.
The Vvaan and Yeh Prem Mol Liya feature Chhath Puja rituals in songs, trailers, or story settings.
Cultural activist Anish Ankur says films may be targeting Bihar’s large diaspora and a growing neo-middle-class audience.
Dr Anil Kumar Roy questions whether Chhath serves the films’ stories or creates a politically charged religious ambience.
The films’ makers describe Chhath as culturally meaningful, with The Vvaan writer Arunabh Kumar calling it a scientific festival.
The Vvaan makers say they are exploring Chhath in Hindi cinema for the first time, although experts note Bhojpuri films have used it for years.
- Who
- The casts and makers of The Vvaan and Yeh Prem Mol Liya, along with cultural commentators including Anish Ankur and Dr Anil Kumar Roy.
- What
- Hindi films are featuring Chhath Puja and Chhathi Maiya in promotional songs, trailers, and story settings.
- Where
- The Vvaan is described as being set around the villages of Kanchanpur and Amhara near Patna, while the films are aimed at Hindi-speaking and diaspora audiences.
- When
- The discussion concerns the films’ current promotional campaigns; The Vvaan’s press event took place on Monday, according to the article.
- Why
- The article cites possible reasons including cultural representation, reaching Bihar’s diaspora and neo-middle-class audience, responding to Bhojpuri cinema, creating religious ambience, and supporting the films’ narratives.
Cultural and Political Skeptics
Filmmakers and Cultural Advocates
Purpose of Chhath in the films
Cultural and Political Skeptics
Anish Ankur and Dr Anil Kumar Roy say audiences should consider whether Chhath genuinely serves the storyline or is being used to create religious ambience or gain political mileage.
Filmmakers and Cultural Advocates
The Vvaan’s makers present Chhath as central to the film’s setting and as a meaningful expression of Indian culture, spirituality, and science.
Audience and commercial appeal
Cultural and Political Skeptics
Ankur suggests Hindi films may be using Chhath to reach Bihar’s large global diaspora, a neo-middle-class audience, and viewers drawn to hyper-local content.
Filmmakers and Cultural Advocates
The article frames the films’ use of Chhath as an attempt to explore new content and connect with audiences in an unpredictable cinema market.
Who pioneered Chhath on screen
Cultural and Political Skeptics
Ankur says Bhojpuri cinema explored Chhath many years ago, challenging the claim that The Vvaan is the first Hindi film to do so.
Filmmakers and Cultural Advocates
The Vvaan makers claim they have explored the festival for the first time in Hindi cinema.
Key facts
- Films involved
- The Vvaan and Yeh Prem Mol Liya
- Festival featured
- Chhath Puja, also associated with Chhathi Maiya
- The Vvaan cast
- Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah
- Yeh Prem Mol Liya cast
- Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari
- The Vvaan setting
- The villages of Kanchanpur and Amhara, described as 35 kilometres from Patna
- Writer-producer’s view
- Arunabh Kumar calls Chhath a scientific festival because it honors both the setting and rising sun
- Cultural context
- Experts link the trend to Bihar’s diaspora, Bhojpuri cinema, local content, and the wider environment of religiosity
Quotes
Dr Anil Kumar Roy
Convener of the RTE Forum in Bihar
“Bihari diaspora is a very large community. It's spread all over the world. Hindi films are catered to the NRI audience. This festival might be used to cater to the audience.”
NDTV
“Firstly, whether Chhath has been used in the film in accordance with the film's sentiment, storyline, or to create an ambience of polarisation, we need to see this.”
NDTV
Sources
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