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Pranali - One more film on Devdasi Tradition

HNF Entertainment Desk

January 12, 2008

A film on the devdasi (temple dancers devoted to god) tradition prevalent in some pockets of India is awaiting release in March or April this year.

Harward Entertainment's 'Pranali - The Tradition' deals, mainly, with the darker side of devdasis, traditional temple dancers, marrying the presiding deities of various temples and dedicating their lives to 'divine husbands'.

The film depicts the story of a poor village girl on the border of Karnataka and Maharashtra, who is married off to a village deity and then compelled to become a prostitute by people from the higher social strata. Nargis (of 'Garam Masala' fame) plays the title role of Pranali, the devdasi.

Director Hirdesh Kamble tries to convey a true picture of the life of a devdasi by narrating how the girl bears the stigma of being a devdasi and struggles to discard it.

The film has been produced by Nikhil Mathur, who heads the Harward Group of Companies that has varied corporate interests including financial engineering, fund managements, investments and securities and realty development in India with foreign collaborators. The company has also ventured into entertainment, media, advertising and other communication services.

Well-known singer Kailash Kher makes his debut as music director with this film. Renowned Kathak exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj has agreed to guide and advise creatively - especially in the 'tandav' dance (dance of Shiva) sequence included in the movie. However, dance director Saroj Khan is the choreographer of the film and Najeeb Khan is the Cinematographer.

Hirdesh, Kamble and Manoj Pandey have written the story and screenplay respectively.

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The devdasi tradition that has attracted many writers and scholars to work on it is still existent in some pockets of India, where the temple dancers are looked upon as a repository of culture. The kind of life they lead and hardships they endure have been the theme of many well-known fictions and non-fictions.

In South India, in particular, a few movies have also been made on the subject. The most recent one was 'Sringaaram - Dance of Love'.

Well-known director Kalpana Lajmi had planned to make a film on the devdasi tradition with Rekha and Priyanka Chopra in the lead. But, perhaps, the project is put on hold for the time being.

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