Goddess Laxmi denigrated through painting

Ashwin Krushna Chaturdashi

Hindus should force Ketan Mehta to stop denigration of Goddess Laxmi in a movie ‘Rang Rasiya’, wherein Goddess laxmi has been defamed. This film is based on Raja Ravi Varma, who was a true devotee of Hindu Deities and a Great painter and Anti-Hindu Ketan Mehta is denigrating Goddess Laxmi through movie based on life of Raja Ravi Varma!

By Runna Ashish bhutada

We stumbled upon a picture in which Nandana Sen’s face has been superimposed on a picture of Goddess Lakshmi. After some research, we learnt that the picture was a still from Ketan Mehta’s upcoming film Rang Rasiya which is based on painter Raja Ravi Varma’s life and stars Nandana Sen opposite Randeep Hooda. The painting on which Nandana’s face has been superimposed is an original by Raja Ravi Varma.

What’s strange is that Nandana who has done a topless scene in the film has been depicted as Goddess Lakshmi. Won’t the depiction put the film in the news for all the wrong reasons?

Nandana Sen’s face superimposed on the painting and (inset) the original painting

We got in touch with Ketan Mehta who is currently in London. He said nonchalantly, “Nandana’s face has been superimposed on a certain painting. We have taken the permission from the Maharaja of Baroda, who is the owner of the original painting.”

Commenting on why he doesn’t expect any backlash, Mehta said, “Raja Ravi Varma made semi-nude paintings of Urvashi, Rambha and other apsaras from the era of Ramayana and Mahabharat. In Rang Rasiya I have depicted exactly what the painter Raja Ravi Varma did in real life. I have not distorted any facts.”

Mehta is no stranger to controversies. In the early ’90s, his film Maya Memsaab (starring his wife Deepa Sahi and Shah Rukh Khan) was in the news for its lovemaking sequences, which were eventually chopped off by the Censor Board. An undeterred Mehta, who returns with yet another historical after the failure of his ambitious Aamir Khan starrer Mangal Pandey: The Rising, told Mumbai Mirror that he is not spending sleepless nights over this. He said, “Raja Ravi Varma was also dragged to court. I am ready to face the consequences, if any.”

Although Mehta has often been hailed as a director much ahead of his times, for films like Maya Memsaab and Mirch Masala, he has still not tasted success at the box-office. This time, however, Mehta is upbeat about the success of this film. “Every actor in the film, including Nandana, has done a fabulous job. It’s Nandana’s best performance till date. I am quite kicked about the film.”

Randeep Hooda plays Raja Ravi Verma who courted controversy in the 18th Century by painting nude women. Nandana plays the character of Sugundha a sensuous woman, who posed nude for Varma who eventually fell in love with her. Raja Ravi Varma was dragged to court for obscenity and hurting the public sense of morality in his works. But eventually, he won the case.

Rang Rasiya required Nandana to dress and look a certain way. She plays a young Maharashtrian girl with long hair, light eyes, waist chain and a nose ring. She also gained five kilos for the role since she had to look voluptuous rather than her usual slim self. The film also stars Paresh Rawal in a pivotal role.

As for the painting’s bold representation, only time will tell if Mehta’s new film too will be mired in controversy.

Source: Mumbai Mirror