Navaratri Celebration In Bollywood Films

As per Hindu scriptures, Goddess Durga’s journey to Earth begins during Navratri. Though it is not a physical descent, devotees welcome Amba home to celebrate Her victory over Mahishasura. The nine-day festival is celebrated differently across the nation. The East lights up with pandal hopping during Durga Puja, whereas Western India is decorated with vibrant Garba and Dandiya nights. While Durga Puja honours Ma’s fierce nature and protective powers, Navratri is more about celebrating Her feminine energy, compassion, and nurturing instincts.

Bursting and popping vibrant colours find soul in the beats of dhol; Navratri in Bollywood films has always been an attraction point and a perfect plot peak. Under the pre-winter, starry sky, the on-screen pair undergoes a romantic transformation, propelling the story forward. The beats of Garba songs, with a hint of folk music, are flirtatious, sensual and pacy for hearts to race and get tugged and tied tightly with the partner. The tonality turns more authoritative and firmer in some stories.

In Bollywood culture, Navratri is looked upon as a playful, joyous and culturally rich. But it is not one-dimensional. Filmmakers have expressed love, feistiness, authority, beauty, grace and festive fervour with their unique voices. While Kai Po Che’s Shubhaarambh marked the beginning of the nine-day festival and also an eternal love story, Ram Leela’s Lahu Munh Lag Gaya is sensual and flirty. Ghoomar, a traditional Rajasthani folk dance performed during Gangaur and also Navratri, honours the feisty female energy.

On the second day of Navratri, dedicated to Goddess Brahmacharini, let’s look at how Bollywood movies depicted different emotions and flavours through poignant sequences plotted during the festival.

Imagine meeting the love of your life during Navratri. With prayers, chants and traditional folk music filling the air with positivity and starting a new chapter with Mr/Ms Right, isn’t this a filmy manifestation? Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani’s Satyaprem Ki Katha depicts the magic of love at first sight during Navratri festivities. Not butterflies, but surely the heart races faster than Garba twirls. In Satyaprem Ki Katha, Kartik, who is struggling to find the right partner, gets blessed by the divine feminine power when Kiara just walks into his life most effortlessly. Eventually, the heart finds the best home even in the loud, chaotic world.

Similarly, Kai Po Che’s Shubhaarambh marks the beginning of a love story that is built on the foundation of strength, mutual respect and the Goddess’s blessing. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s Nagada from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela has an intense approach, that of heartbreak, redemption and passion. The perfectly in-sync choreography and the use of red and black are symbolic of the intertwining of two hearts and the rageful and passionate story that was unfolding.

Bhansali understands Navratri and Garba better than most filmmakers. He has proven this with the meticulous detailing in songs such as Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan’s characters have fallen in love. The coyness transitioned into spirited romance. The festival plays Cupid for the couple. The family accepted Salman as one of their own. Aishwarya and Salman’s mischievous chemistry breathed energy into the high-spirited song.

On the other hand, Chogada is an unabashed celebration of love and Gujarat’s culture. A remixed version of the traditional Garba song, this Loveyatri track instantly became a favourite. As the title suggests, the film is set amid the Navratri celebration. Romance aside, Garba has been painted in the most vibrant and exciting ways in Bollywood.

Besides the happy and colourful song and dance sequences, the strength, righteousness and power of Ma Durga have been depicted through female characters such as Gangubai Kathiawadi and Rani Padmavati. Dholida from Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi is positioned brilliantly. From dancing to Jhume Re Gori as a young girl to commanding the floor as a brothel madam turned politician, the character’s journey is carved deeply into the sequence. An ode to the Goddess’s force and resilience, Dholida honours every woman who carries Durga in her heart and soul. Ghoomar in Padmaavat honours the warrior and ‘Shakti’ present in the Queen. Her dignity, loyalty and grace draw parallels with Ma Durga.

Beyond the grandeur and beauty of the festival, Navratri has never been used as a mere plot point. It is adequately represented for its cultural significance, purpose and religious importance. A cinematic treat for the eyes, Ma Durga is definitely the lead character and emotional anchor in movies.