Underplayed Gems

Dharmatma (1935)

Dharmatma poster
Original title
धर्मात्मा
Directed by
V. Shantaram
Genre
biographical film
Country
British Raj
Runtime
2h 10m
Rating
7.5 of 10 from 2 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This biographical film follows the life of Sant Eknath, a 16th century Marathi religious poet and scholar. It focuses on his teachings against social injustices like untouchability, promoting equality and humanity.

devotionalsocially consciousserioushistorically groundededucationalearnestsolemnnarrative-driven

What happens

Dharmatma (The Holy Soul) is a 1935 Indian social devotional biopic directed by V. Shantaram. The film was a bilingual made in Marathi and Hindi. This was the only devotional film directed by Shantaram, though he had made several mythological films. The story and screenplay were by K. Narayan Kale and the music was composed by Master Krishnarao. The cast included Bal Gandharva in his debut role and Chandra Mohan as the villain, with Master Chhotu, K. Narayan Kale, Ratnaprabha, Vasanti and Hari Pandit. The film is about the "legendary" Marathi religious poet and scholar Sant Eknath (1533–99), author of a variation of the Bhagavata Purana called Eknathi Bhagvata, numerous abhangs and the bharuda form of solo performances. The story revolves around his teachings regarding social injustices concerning untouchability, equality and humanity. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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