Sanskrit Film Screened in Jaipur

18 February 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

In seeming defiance of the notion that Sanskrit is a 'dead language,' a Sanskrit film has hit the theatres in Jaipur. The full length feature film is based on the ancient Sanskrit drama Mudrarakshasam, and shares the title with the dramatic piece, written by Vishakhadatta around the 4th century B.C.

Mudrarakshasam tells the story of the overthrow of the Nandas by the famous stateman Chanakya, along with his disciple Chandragupta. The appeal of the film lies in the engrossing political drama that tells a tale of intrigue, design and espionage in the succession to the throne.

Reportedly, Producer-Director Umesh Sharma made the film hoped to make a film that would popularize the language held to be sacred by Brahminical Hindus. Speaking to Times Now, he said, "It cost us a good quarter million Indian rupees, to make this film. But money is hardly the issue as this film was a labour of love to bind India, the country with a rich and varied heritage, by this film which should be available for viewers free of cost so all can see, appreciate and adopt Sanskrit in their day to day work."

The lead actress Pooja said that it was a challenge to act in the film as she was not used to speaking the tongue. Speaking to the same source, she said, "There was a challenge in the film for me in the form of a test of my ability to carry on the dialogues in chaste Sanskrit…One can learn things by the rote and reproduce it in text on paper, but to enact the scenes using Sanskrit language and with fitting expressions seemed a tough task that made me doubt. But, thankfully, no such thing happened and all went well."

Whether the film will actually achieve its aim of popularizing the language is debatable, but the move is being supported by those who wish to see a revival of old tenets of performing arts, and would like to see them actually enacted in Sanskrit films.