Mention of Kumbh is missing from films, this year there is going to be a big fair of Bollywood stars in Mahakumbh.

The holy Mahakumbh, which comes every 12 years, has started in Prayagraj from January 13 and when the Kumbh Mela is mentioned, on one hand the image of devotees and sadhus taking a dip in the Sangam emerges in the mind, on the other hand, on the film screen, Kumbh is seen with loved ones. Pictures of separated children and siblings also become fresh. This theme of lost and found has been exploited a lot in Bollywood films. Let’s take a look at this and know its reality? That scene from ‘Main Hoon Na’, where Shahrukh Khan goes to the theater to watch ‘Sholay’
It was the night of 31st December. The celebrations to welcome the New Year were in full swing. When the group of friends gathered here and there, Sumi said – Friend, everyone stay together. Then Riya said loudly – ​​Ama, why are you afraid? Yeh Kumbh tha hai ki kho jaagogi hai and what flashed in my mind was that scene from the 2004 superhit film ‘Main Hoon Na’, where Major Ram i.e. Shahrukh Khan goes to the theater to watch ‘Sholay’ and while buying pop corn, he/she sees his/her new- Says to new friends – Friend, please everyone stay together. I am new here, lest I get lost, to which a student replies – Are you a child? What nonsense! It seems like it is Kumbh Mela and everyone laughs. But actually this scene is a tribute to the Bollywood films of the 60-70 era, which made the Kumbh Mela synonymous with separation of families, brothers-sisters and lovers. Therefore, whenever Kumbh is mentioned, before the devotees taking a dip in the Sangam and the Naga Sadhus splashing their hair, that scene seen again and again on the screen comes to mind, where two brothers happily go to the Kumbh Mela, hand in hand, and The very next moment, after getting separated from each other, they are seen crying out in frustration, ‘Bhaiyya…, Munna…, Raju…’.

Bharat Milaak of these long separated brothers in Kumbh

The interesting thing is that during the Kumbh, these long separated brothers are reunited in the climax only after 20 years, when a matching tattoo, locket, mole or wart is revealed with suspenseful background music. Sometimes this noble deed was also done by a tattered old photo or a family song. Another amazing thing was that one of the two brothers would always become a policeman after reaching a rich family, while the other would become a street thief, snatcher or pickpocket.

Story of Kumbh Mela in old Bollywood films

In the Bollywood films of the 60-70s, the idea of ​​lost and found, the separation and meeting of children, siblings, lovers at the Kumbh Mela, has been so popular that it has become an idiom in the social environment. Now, even if two friends hug each other loudly, someone will say that they are looking like long-lost brothers at the Kumbh.

Lost and found theme popular in Bollywood

The credit for introducing the theme of loss of children in Kumbh to Bollywood probably goes to Mehboob Khan’s film Takdeer (1943). This was Nargis’s first film, in which her character Shyama and hero Motilal’s character Pappu get separated from their parents at the Kumbh Mela and reach each other’s families and grow up and fall in love with each other. Apart from this, in Prakash Mehra’s film Mela (1971) too, Firoz Khan’s character Shakti lives in remorse of losing his/her brother Sanjay Khan’s character Kanhaiya in the Kumbh Mela. Even in Dilip Kumar’s famous film Ram Aur Shyam 1967, twin brothers get separated at a fair. At the same time, in many popular films, natural disaster, circumstance or conspiracy also became the reason for the separation of these families, brothers or lovers in their childhood. The special thing was that most of the films made on the theme of Lost and Found used to attract a lot of crowd at the ticket window.

Tried the recipe of losing and gaining even in superhit films like ‘Parvarish’, ‘Coolie’

Ashok Kumar’s Kismat (1943), Mehboob Khan’s Anmol Ghadi (1946), Yash Chopra’s multi-starrer film Waqt (1965), Dharmendra’s Shola Aur Shabnam (1961), Nasir Hussain’s Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Manmohan Desai’s Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) has all been superhit and memorable movies. This has been the favorite subject of Nasir Hussain and Manmohan Desai. Apart from Yaadon Ki Baaraat, the theme of Lost and Found has also been in Nasir Hussain’s other films Dil Deke Dekho, Tumsa Nahi Dekha, Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon. Similarly, apart from Amar Akbar Anthony, Manmohan Desai also tried the recipe of losing and gaining in superhit films like Dharam Veer, Parvarish, Coolie. Apart from this, films like Johnny Mera Naam (1970), Sita Aur Geeta (1972), Zameer (1975), Chaalbaaz (1989) were also hits on this theme.

No longer get separated in hi-tech Kumbh

By the way, the emotion of separation from loved ones is still very prevalent in Bollywood films. The latest example of this is Shahrukh Khan’s superhit film Jawan, where son and father get separated. Even in Salman Khan’s superhit Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Munni gets separated from her parents. Salman’s Judwaa (1997) also cannot be forgotten, which Varun Dhawan hit the screen again in 2017. But yes, now Kumbh is not the reason for separation of these children, because gone are the times when it was not possible to find loved ones in this fair. However, it is not that people no longer get separated or lost in the fair. In this fair attended by lakhs, every day many children and elders are separated from each other, but this separation is only for a short period of time, not for 20-22 years. Today, in the era of mobile, internet and social media, it has become very easy to find them. On top of that, the fair administration also makes special arrangements to search for people. Many lost and found centers are set up, volunteers are deployed, announcements are made. This year, for the Mahakumbh starting in Prayagraj, 10 digital lost and found centers with AI technology have been created, which will reunite the separated people with their loved ones through AI based CCTV cameras and social media. Therefore, the sad story of being separated from oneself in the Kumbh Mela has become old now, so enjoy the Kumbh Mela without any fear. Still, if there is any doubt, do not forget to take a lesson from Bollywood and get your children matching tattoos or make them wear lockets.

Theme missing, but Bollywood will be present

Even though the mention of Kumbh has disappeared from films, this year many Bollywood stars will also register their presence in Mahakumbh. According to reports, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Shankar Mahadevan will add to the charm of Mahakumbh. Malini Awasthi, Kailash Kher, Sonu Nigam, Jubin Nautiyal and Shreya Ghoshal are reported to be performing with Shankar Mahadevan in the concerts. Amitabh, Ranbir, Alia, Rakhi Sawant and Ashutosh Rana will also come to take a dip in the Sangam. However, no clear information has been received yet regarding the day on which these syllabus will reach Sangam.