Prakash Jha revises ‘Raghupati Raghav’ to fit the theme of his next film-‘Satyagraha’

Prakash Jha is bringing Gandhian values to the 21st century by modifying the iconic bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’ for his latest film. This change is a joint effort between Jha and lyricist Prasoon Joshi, who felt that they needed to tweak the song to make it more relevant to present times.

 “Gandhiji was the first to use the word ‘Satyagraha’ and he was also instrumental in popularising the song ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’. So we thought of using it in our film, albeit in today’s context. The film shows the angst of young people today, who are standing up for their rights, needs and demands. That’s why we thought of transforming the song to suit the context,” says Jha.

Prakash Jha added, “It’s a universal song and a prarthana (prayer). We haven’t changed the lines, just the context has been changed. The content reflects today’s age.”

Inspired by some of the non-violent protests across the world, Prakash Jha believes that Gandhian Satyagraha is the true method to bring about change, which he captures in his film. “The idea of protesting against what you think is not right is gaining ground. Today, if any incident happens where people feel that they are trivialized, they do not hesitate in protesting. That is what my film, Satyagraha, is all about,” he says.

The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgn in pivotal roles and releases on August 23.